FFX: Destiny's Call
by Nightfire04
Summary: What happens when a teenage boy gets the chance to go inside the world of FFX? Will he find his destiny, or will he find something more? Nothing is as it seems, when you're looking at it from a new perspective... First in the Clouded Horizons series.
1. Prologue & Chapter 1: Reflections

Disclaimer: I don't own FFX. Square-Enix does, so no attempts to sue me, okay?

* * *

Prologue—Shadows

Don't ask me why I'm here. I'm still not too sure of it myself. Still having that "not in Kansas anymore" feeling, you know? But now, I don't think that I'm going to have an easy life for a while. Oh well, least it's a place I'm familiar with. Just still can't get over the shock that it actually exists. Now that I think about it, are there others like it? I don't know. There might be, or there might not. Anyway, I better get back to the others, and end my little tirade on life for the moment. Not to rip off Tidus' line, or anything, but it's just so fitting. This...is my story.

Chapter 1—Reflections

Sitting here, on the edge of my bed, I just realized that life is a strange thing. If you ever stop to think about it, that is. You never know what's going to happen, you have no control over it, and you never know just how things will end up. So, when I walked out the door of my house, going to get some lunch, it was safe to assume that I figured it would be just another boring day. Right. Like that would ever happen. Oh yeah, better introduce myself. Name's Ben. First glance, you would think I'm some kind of computer geek, minus the glasses. About 5 and a half feet tall, with short brown hair and brown eyes, I look the part. I act it too, although I'm a good martial artist as well, on par with a black belt. My choice of attire is decidedly bland for the moment, as well. Long, black khakis, with a white t-shirt and black long-sleeved jacket. A pair of white tennis shoes completed the outfit. Not very colorful, but I liked it well enough.

Anyway, after getting some food, I wandered back to my room, locking the door behind me. I like my privacy, after all. Turning on the PS2, sitting there on a desk, I decided to try and replay FFX from the very beginning. Still hadn't gotten over the ending and all, but now I had decided to play it over again, to see how many things made sense that didn't the first time around.

It all started normally, the logos appearing one by one on the TV screen. But, after the title screen came up, the game decided to start fizzing out. You know, static and stuff all over the screen. First, I figured it was some kind of glitch, so, I turned the power button on the back off. Imagine my surprise when the game screen stayed up, still with static going wildly across it. Next thing I know, all I can see is a bright white light.

Lowering my hand from over my eyes after a moment, I just about fell back out of the chair when I looked around. Not because the screen had gone back to black, despite the TV still being on, but because the fayth was standing about 3 feet beside me. You know, the little guy that Tidus always sees. My eyes got about the size of dinner plates, and eventually I got the nerve to say something.

"...Are you real?"

He smiled. "Not in a manner of speaking, no. But when it comes to existence, I exist just as much as you do."

"What do you mean, 'exist'? How can you exist, but not be real?" My brain was doing a mile a minute, trying to figure out what was happening. He shook his head, before looking back up at me.

"Never mind that. I'm here because I sense great potential in you. You have the capability to be a great boon to Lady Yuna's pilgrimage." I hadn't thought my eyes could get any wider, but sure enough, they did. Even though I had kind of figured that was coming, it still surprised me to hear it.

"Yuna? You're kidding, right?"

"No, I assure you. This is no joke. I came to ask for your assistance, that is, if you're willing to give it."

My eyes slowly went back to their normal size, as I contemplated what I had just been offered. What I thought, was the chance of a lifetime. Then my thinking side took over. "How long will I be gone? What will my uncle think if he notices I'm missing? What will I have to do?" As I fired off rapid questions, the fayth simply smiled at me, holding up his hand.

"Don't worry. All will be revealed in time, if you accept. Not much time will pass from the time you leave, until the time Lady Yuna's pilgrimage is complete. So, you do not have to worry about being thought missing."

Visibly relaxing, I thought for a moment. Knowing full well what I would be doing, do I choose to go, and embark on quite possibly the most exciting adventure of my life, or stay here and live the same old boring life, same as always? To my brain, there was no contest. I looked at the fayth, and smiled. "You've got a deal. By the way, my name's Ben." The fayth turned, and began chanting for a moment. Next thing I knew, there was a glowing blue portal in front of my closet door.

"All you need to do, is enter this gateway, and you will be transported to Spira. The rest, will be left up to you to find out."

My eye narrowed a bit, as I realized something I hadn't thought of before. "Wait, where exactly am I going to end up? Where you brought Tidus from, in Zanarkand, or what?"

"That, is for you to find out." he said, turning to give me a mischievous grin.

"Well, if I have no clue where I'm going to end up, better take this." I said, walking over to the wall beside my bed, and pulling my sheathed katana off the wall mount it was laying on.

"Good idea. Now, are you ready?"

I smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Considering I'm about to go into what I thought was just a game until now." Shaking my head, I walked towards the portal, that would take me to a world of love, hate, death, and life. The world known as Spira.

* * *

So, how was the intro to the story? Decent? Anyway, please read and review! I want to get some opinions from you guys! 


	2. Chapter 2: Visions

Chapter 2—Visions

As I finally regained my bearings after going through the portal, I found myself in a place that was quite the technological city. Zanarkand. In front of the blitzball stadium, to be precise.

'_Great. I'm right at the start, I see. That means...oh crap. This is not good!'_

I glanced around at the sky, looking for any sign of the large being known as Sin, but I couldn't see much for the buildings.

"Ok. First things first. I've got to find Auron." I said out loud, hoping it would help me think. No luck on that one. I wandered down the walkway, when suddenly I saw something that didn't quite seem right. Namely, water droplets floating up into the sky. And that could only mean one thing at this point.

"Sin." I said to myself, following the trail of water up into the air with my eyes.

I knew that the first thing I had to do right now was find some shelter, cause the whole city was about to come down around me, and there was no way to stop it. Suddenly, an outburst of cheers erupted from the stadium behind me. Apparently, the Abes just scored. Looking up again, I notice that the ball of water that is Sin is getting closer to the stadium by the second. I look around frantically, hoping to find some kind of cover, so that I don't get killed by the onslaught of debris that is to come. Spying a narrow corridor between some trashcans, I dive between them, just as several yellow lasers erupt from the sphere, blasting through the town. I duck and cover my head, as the city explodes around me. Faintly, I hear Tidus screaming, so I guess he must have fallen.

After a minute, the explosions die down, and I walk out from my hiding place. Looking around, I notice for the first time just how extensive the damage is.

The whole city, for the most part, has been damaged in some way, shape, or form. Buildings lay crumbled around, and the stadium is completely ruined. Seeing Tidus out of the corner of my eye, I begin to run over to him, as he stands up and shakes the cobwebs out of his head.

"Are you okay, Tidus?" I say, then curse mentally at myself, noticing my obvious slip.

"Yea, but, how do you know my name? And just who are you?" Tidus inquired.

"Explanations later! Let's just get outta here!" I yell, barely able to hear our conversation over the panic that is ensuing. As we run down the path away from the stadium, Tidus notices Auron, and runs over to him. A grin appears on my face, as I realize that finally, I can get some help.

"Auron! What are you doing here?" Tidus exclaims, staring at the warrior monk intently.

"I was waiting for you." he replies.

"What are you talking about?" he says, confused.

"Ah. Ben. The fayth told me you would come." Auron says, turning to look at me, before spinning on his heel and walking away. I nod, as Tidus takes off after Auron. Shaking my head at his seeming obliviousness to the danger around us, I sprint off after the duo.

Running down the streets, I see that it is no different that the stadium. The streets are cracked and broken, and pandemonium reigns as people rush madly in one direction or another. Suddenly, as we are about a fourth of the way down the street, time just stops. And I mean everything. People frozen in mid-stride, mid-fall, anything and everything they were doing just freezes. Tidus just looks around, stunned and confused at what happened. The fayth then appears, in front of the 2 of us.

"It begins."

"What?" Tidus says, quite lost at where this conversation is going.

"Don't cry." the fayth says, before time suddenly goes back to normal, the fayth vanishing without a trace.

"What the....Hey! Wait!" Tidus exclaims, as the 2 of us continue running down the street, suddenly seeing Auron again as we reach the end.

"Hey, not this way!" Tidus says to Auron. I just look on, knowing that the first fight is about to start. Mentally preparing myself, I listen to the rest of the conversation quietly.

"Look." Tidus glances up, towards the floating ball of water. Gasping, he turns back to Auron.

"We called it Sin."

"Sin?" he says, before another explosion goes off in the distance. A tentacle smashes its way through a nearby building, flailing wildly. Hundreds of little scale type pods fly off of the tentacle, and sail towards us, landing on the ground a few feet away. Unfurling themselves, the pods are revealed to actually be small bug-like creatures with wings. Sinscales.

Several of the creatures surround Tidus in a half-circle, as he trys to fight them off with his hands, losing his balance and falling flat on his rear in the process.

"Take it." Auron suddenly says, handing Tidus a sword as he gets up. Tidus holds it high, before apparently noticing how heavy it is, and dropping it straight down.

"A gift from Jecht."

"My old man?" he says, stunned. Tidus charges forward then, swinging the blade, which causes the Sinscales to back off a few feet.

"I hope you know how to use it." Auron says to Tidus.

"Ben, you have a weapon, I see." Nodding at Auron, I unsheathe the katana that was strapped to my back. It's not a very big sword, maybe barely half the size of Auron's, but it serves the purpose. Silver bladed, with an ivory handle and golden, circular handguard. I drop into a fighting stance alongside Auron, who has drawn his sword as well, and Tidus, who is still adjusting to his own blade.

Auron makes the first move, charging at the first Sinscale and cleaving it square in two, before Tidus darts in, cutting the next one in half diagonally from the right shoulder, if you could say that, to the left side of its body. I take the third, cleaving it straight in half from the bottom to the top.

"These ones don't matter! We cut through!" Auron says, slicing another Sinscale down, as more move to take their place.

I growl, before running and kicking another Sinscale away, stabbing into it with my sword while it's disoriented. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tidus nearly decapitate another one, before the duo runs past the rest of them. Knocking another Sinscale out of my way, I follow the two down the road as more of the scales fall behind us. Suddenly, a loud noise sounds over the chaos. Auron pauses for a second, before running in the direction of the noise. I just sigh, as Tidus and I follow Auron down the winding road. Turning a corner, the first thing we notice is the huge tentacle from before, that was in a building, is now sprouting out of the center of the road. It's also surrounded by 3 more Sinscales. Tidus just stares at the large creature, as Auron and myself get into a fighting stance once more.

"Stand back. I'll handle this." he says, before he thrusts his left hand forward, pulling his sword back as he did so. Jumping high into the air, he spins his sword around, before falling back down and planting it into the ground. Explosions erupt over each of the scales, and the Sinspawn, killing the 3 scales instantly.

'_Dragon Fang...' _I think to myself. The Sinspawn takes that moment to attack.

Demi. There's only one way to describe this. It's like someone inflated your guts to about 3 times the normal size, then crushed them to the size of a baseball, then popped them back out to normal again. Painful. So it's no surprise it left all 3 of us hunched over for a minute. Tidus looks pretty ticked now, and he clenches his fists, before charging the Sinspawn, doing a series of acrobatic backflips and twists before slamming the sword down on the Sinspawn, finally killing it.

'_Spiral Cut...' _I think to myself again, recognizing both Overdrive moves.

The Sinspawn flops over to the side slightly, going limp, before it explodes in a flash of light, causing all 3 of us to shield our eyes. Again, Auron runs ahead, leaving us two behind.

"How many more times is he going to do that?" I ask Tidus.

"Beats me." he says, shrugging, before following the warrior. As we run, Tidus notices a billboard on a nearby building, that is showing a picture of his father. Glaring at it, he stops for a moment.

"What are you laughing at, old man?" he says, before turning to Auron. "Auron! Let's get out of here!"

"We're expected." he replies, before running ahead once more.

"Huh? Gimme a break, man!" Tidus exclaims, as the two of us have no choice but to follow Auron again.

Suddenly, we are completely surrounded by a group of falling Sinscales. Noticing that there's too many for us to take on by ourselves, we look around for some sort of plan. Auron notices something, yelling to the rest of us.

"That—knock it down!" he yells, pointing at a piece of machinery hanging over the side of the slightly destroyed bridge. Tidus nods, and begins to swipe at the metal with his sword.

Unfortunately, that leaves just me and Auron to hold off the Sinscales. In case you haven't noticed, 20 or so on 2 isn't very good odds. Auron slices through 2 scales, only to be caught in the chest with a set of spines from the third. I turn around to attack the other 3 behind us, and get caught with a tackling blow from one, knocking me down. I stand back up, and charge the scales again, dodging a spine barrage to cut one clean in two, before getting hit with another set of spines from the third. Falling back for a moment, I notice Auron is still fighting, but Tidus has almost cut through the piece of metal. I gulp down a potion, and run back to Auron, standing back to back with him.

"Got it!" we hear Tidus yell, as the machine finally topples off the side of the bridge.

The good news is, the resulting explosion took out the rest of the Sinscales for us. The bad news, well, it also got the bridge we were on. So, we ran for our lives down the bridge, as the whole thing crashed down behind us, no more than a few steps away. I run a little faster than Tidus, and follow Auron's jump, landing safely on the other side. Tidus, however, isn't so lucky, as the explosion finally catches up with him, forcing him to make a desperate leap for the other side. He barely makes it, too, grabbing on to the side of a piece of road that, now, is pointing diagonally up.

"Auron! Auron!" he yells, as the monk turns around, staring up at what looks to be a whirlpool of some sort above us, sucking in everything nearby.

"You are sure?" he says, apparently talking to the thing, before looking back down at Tidus. "This is it." he says, grabbing him by his shirt collar. "This is your story. It all begins here." he says, right before he and I are sucked into the whirlpool. Tidus follows a moment after, screaming the whole way. And so it begins....

* * *

Any good? As always, read, review, and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: Desertion

Disclaimer: I don't own FFX, but I do own my explanation as to how the Sphere Grid works in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 3—Desertion

The dark sky is the perfect setting to the feelings I'm having right now. Alone, and utterly disoriented. The trip through the portal was strange, almost like someone had thrown me in a washing machine. Looking around, I notice that we seem to be near some sort of large stone structure, which lies further off in the distance, across a body of water of some sort. Turning to Tidus, who I noticed was unconscious beside me, I shake him awake, shaking my head as well to clear the dizziness out.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask Tidus, who sits up and looks at me, clearly still a little woozy from the trip as well.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You?" he replies.

"I'm fine. Luckily, we're both here in one piece, at least." I say, chuckling a little on the inside.

Standing up, Tidus looks around for a moment, before crying out.

"Anybody there? Auron! Heeey!" he yells, getting no response, except the calm moving of the water nearby.

Looking up, I notice a bird in the sky, moving towards the stone monument. Pointing at it, Tidus follows my gaze, before nodding. As we both swim off, following the bird's flight, I continue to think about what I'm truly here for.

'_I don't understand. Why would the fayth pick me...I mean, out of all the people in the world, why me? What makes me so special?'_

My thoughts were interrupted by Tidus yelling out to me, barely managing to warn me of the piece of stone that was directly in my path. Quickly turning, I continue to follow for a moment, until we finally reach the ruined structure. Moss and mold dot the surface of the ruins, and pieces of stone are chipped and cracked, sometimes completely missing from the spot they were supposed to occupy. Stepping onto a small stone platform, I take a moment to admire the surroundings, before following Tidus up a stone walkway.

Tidus walks for a minute or two, before suddenly stopping to take a look around. Glancing at the tranquil water below us, I almost feel at peace for a brief moment. Then, the path just falls out from under us. So much for the silent moment. Landing in the water with a hard splash, I wince, having never fell into a body of water from that height. Tidus, however, seems relatively unfazed.

'_Must be the blitzball games...' _I think to myself.

Suddenly, I notice the water churning nearby, as something seems to be approaching us, at quite the rapid pace to be precise. Fumbling for my katana, I draw it, albeit slower than normal. I suppose it's because I've never had to swim and wield a sword at the same time. Tidus draws his own blade, having the same slight bit of trouble that I had, as the creature finally reveals itself. Or should I say, creatures. It's a pack of small fish, looking somewhat like piranhas, but a little bigger. The fish surround us, as I call out to Tidus, while forming a plan at the same time.

"Ok, you get the one in front of you, and I'll get the one behind us! Try and dodge the third one until we can kill one of the others!"

Tidus nods, and turns his attention to the first fish, while I turn around to deal with the second. The first darts in, trying to take a bite out of Tidus' arm, but instead gets a mouthful of cold steel, as Tidus brings the sword in an arc, almost severing the lower jaw completely off the creatures body. As the second fish approaches me, I wait for the right moment, before stabbing my sword outwards, completely running the fish through. The blade bursts out of the other side, turning the water a slight shade of red.

As we turn our attention to the third fish, now alone, a rumbling noise catches our attention. Eyes going wide, we watch as a gigantic fish swims by and crunches down on the smaller piranha type creature, killing it instantly in a gush of red blood and snapping bones. The fish swims ahead for a moment, before suddenly noticing us, turning back around to stare us dead in the eyes. Tidus and I look at each other, mentally deciding what to do. Our mental debate ends when Tidus charges the shark-type fiend, cutting a jagged slash across its right flank.

The shark counterattacks, though, ramming Tidus away with its large bulk, before charging at us before we can react. I get my senses back just in time, and dart out of the way, holding my sword out behind me as I move. That cuts another gash across the opposite side of the creature. Letting out a bellow, or growl of some sort, of pain, the creature circles back for another attack. Looking at Tidus, I nod, and knowing we can't win this battle, we turn around, swimming the other way as fast as we possibly can.

Looking around while we swim for our lives, Tidus notices a small opening that we can fit into, and we start swimming for that as if our lives depended on it. Which, right now, they happen to. The bad part is, the shark is a lot faster than we are, and despite our small head start, it's rapidly gaining ground on us. Jaws open wide, the creature prepares to swallow us whole, as we are just a couple of feet from the opening. We are almost completely in the creature's mouth, when it's forced to stop, or risk running into the wall. Because of that, we make it safely into the hole. Unfortunately for the shark, it misjudged how far it needed to be to stop in time, and ends up crashing into the wall anyway. We rolled away quickly, as several large boulders fall down where we were just at, blocking off the entrance.

The first thing we realize, besides the fact that we're still alive, is that it's cold. _Very _cold. Tidus speaks then, shivering the whole time.

"Cold...need fire..." he says, looking around.

"Tell me something I don't know..." I reply, walking towards the center of the room along with Tidus. Noticing a place to build a fire there in the center, we split up and begin to look for anything we can burn. Several minutes later, we meet back up at the central area. Tidus found some stones to use as flint, and I found a pile of tinder. Using what we found, we quickly get a fire started, and sit down beside it to warm up. Tidus lays back, and says the one thing that I didn't need to hear.

"I need food."

That got my stomach rumbling, as I realize I haven't eaten anything since arriving in Spira.

'_Thanks a lot, Tidus.' _I think silently, almost glaring at the teen.

Tidus seems to have zoned out on me now, a dazed look in his eyes as he stares at the ceiling of the room.

_(Flashback)_

"_What do you want?" Tidus says, staring at Auron, who stands in front of him._

"_It was a bad call. Your team lost because of you." Auron replies, a disappointed tone to his voice._

"_You came to say THAT?!" Tidus says, shocked._

_Auron doesn't reply, instead silence overtakes the area for a moment, before Auron speaks again._

"_It's been...ten years. I thought you'd be crying."_

_Tidus stares for a moment, before replying._

"_Who, me?"_

_The fayth suddenly appears then, deciding to add his own input to the conversation._

"_You cried."_

_(End Flashback)_

About 20 minutes has passed, and Tidus still looks out of it, but now he looks like he's falling asleep. Mentally debating with myself on whether to slap him awake or not, I decide against it. The fire starts to die, though, and suddenly Tidus springs up, wide awake now at the sudden lack of heat.

"Hey, wait! Wait! Don't go out on me! Just hold on. I'll get more wood!"

Tidus looks around for anything that could be used as firewood, when suddenly a clicking noise coming from above us alerts him. He looks up, and notices some kind of giant insect scurrying along the side of the wall. The bug jumps down, and we both draw our swords, preparing for a fight.

The monster, Klikk, jumps at Tidus, slashing downward with the front set of legs, only to have it arrested by the blade of Tidus' sword. I jump in, and slice my katana along the soft underside of the creature, eliciting a screech of pain from the insectoid. Enraged, it turns to me, and tries to pounce on me, only to land back on the ground as I roll away. Tidus takes that moment to slash the creature along it's back. Another screech comes from the creature, as it turns around and in one swift move, slashes Tidus across the chest while knocking me away with the back set of legs. Stumbling back and holding his chest, Tidus glances at me, laying several feet away on my back.

"You okay over there?"

I glance back at him, noticing the tear in his shirt and blood seeping from the gash.

"I'm fine, but you better be worried about yourself!"

He turns back to the creature, just in time to avoid a strike that would've decapitated him on the spot.

Suddenly, one of the makeshift doors to the room explodes outward in a deafening roar and shower of wood shards, as several armed men rush into the room, followed by a girl in a bodysuit and goggles. The girl runs up, and mutters something in a language that neither of us understand, before pulling out a small object and pulling something away from it, then throwing it at the creature. I realize just what it was in the nick of time.

"Get down!" I shout, throwing myself to the floor, Tidus shortly after, before the grenade goes off with a loud explosion, blowing the top half of the creature completely apart, before it dissolves into pyreflies.

Tidus walks up to the girl, staring her in the face, as she lifts her goggles up. Tidus stares, mouth wide open for a moment, before sighing.

"Whew! That was close." he says, not noticing the man walking up behind him. All of a sudden, both of us are grabbed by the arms, Tidus struggling immediately against the contact.

"Hey! Lemme go!" he cries, before shutting up as several more of the men surround us and point guns in our faces.

"Fryd ec drec?" one of the men says, turning to another.

"Y fiend! Eh risyh teckieca!"

A third then cuts in, looking at the other 2 men.

"Oac! Ed ec cu!"

One of the men suddenly steps in front of Tidus, brandishing a knife and holding it to his throat. I gulp, thinking about what might happen if this doesn't exactly go the way it does in the game.

"Fa gemm ed?"

Suddenly, the girl decides to speak up, staring at the man who had the knife to Tidus' throat.

"Fyed! Fryd ev ed ec risyh?"

The man stops for a minute, before pointing the knife at the girl.

"Drao yna dra cysa eh taydr."

The girl seems mad now, as she speaks again, this time with a definite angry tone.

"E vunpet ed! Fa pnehk ed fedr ic!"

She then turns, walking over to Tidus. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that we're going to be okay now, for the moment at least.

"Cunno." she says, before driving her knee into Tidus' stomach, making him groan in pain for a moment, before passing out completely. The next thing I know, I'm slammed in the back of the head with what I can only assume is the butt of a gun, and for the first time in my life, fall unconscious.

When I wake up, I find myself on a ship of some kind. Wincing at the waves of pain now shooting through the back of my skull, I drag myself into a sitting position and examine my surroundings. Tidus is laying several feet from me, still unconscious. Everything else...is ocean. And nothing but ocean. No islands, or any other kind of land, for that matter. Suddenly, a moan from Tidus catches my attention, and I turn back around to see him also sit up. Unfortunately, one of the men from earlier notice this as well, and turns around to glare at him. Or, what I assume was a glare. After a moment, the man walks over and hits him, sending him falling back.

"Ced, lybdeja!"

"Hey, that hurts!" Tidus said, falling backwards. The man just stands there, before speaking again in an equally harsh tone.

"Hu sujehk, rayn?"

Tidus seems stunned by the fierceness of his voice, and just stays still.

"Whoa...okay." he says, turning to look at me. I shrug, even though I have a perfect knowledge of what's going on, and who everyone is, I act as if I know about as much as he does. I look past him, and he follows my gaze, as two more people approach us, one of which is the girl from earlier. The other is a tall man, taller than the girl, with a blond mohawk. He was also wearing goggles, like all the rest of the ship's crew.

"Caynlr res!" the man shouts, beginning to make a strange series of motions with his arms, which I can only assume mean something about swimming. Tidus just stares, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Right. Whatever."

The man walks up to Tidus, gesturing even more.

"Tu oui hud cbayg?" he says, pulling out some sort of necklace, and gesturing to it now. Tidus looks a bit annoyed by now, but then again, if you ended up in a place where you couldn't understand anyone, wouldn't you?

"I said I don't understand!" he yells, waving his arm through the air at the man. Another one of the men then points his gun at Tidus, apparently seeing the action as a hostile gesture.

"Ehcumala!" he cries, before the girl suddenly moves towards Tidus, motioning for the other 2 to stop.

"Fyed!" she cries, causing the other 2 to stop what they were doing. "He said you can stay if you make yourself useful."

Tidus blinked in shock for a moment, his eyes going wide.

"You...you understand me?" he says, right before the man behind him smacks him in the back of the head with the gun. "All right, I'll work!" he yells, annoyed at being hit so many times. I shake my head, and begin to walk over to Tidus and the girl, before she looks at me.

"Are you going to help too?"

I nod, and walk to the edge of the boat, peering down for any sign of anything. Unfortunately, I can't see anything because the water is too murky. Sighing, I turn back around and walk over to the group.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Let me show you two how to use the Sphere Grid!" she says, pulling 2 rectangular objects out of a pocket of her suit. I raise an eyebrow at the mention of the Sphere Grid. I had known what it looked like in the game, but I didn't expect it to be an object. Tidus and I each take one, and I turn it over in my hand.

"This is the Sphere Grid, I take it?" I say, glancing at the girl.

Nodding, she turned to me, and began to explain.

"The Sphere Grid has a lot of magic power in it, and it's able to determine what abilities you have as well. They're all different from one person to another. Sometimes, when you kill a fiend, they'll drop little spheres, that represent different things. Strength, Mana, or even keys to learning new abilities. When you find one, you check the little map on the screen here." She pointed to the black part of the device, which showed a little grid of circles, connected by small lines. "This is where you are," she said, pointing to a small circle that had a tag with my name on it, "and this is how you use it." She took out a small sphere, red in color, and inserted it into a slot on the side. "Now, you can use that little arrow pad to move where you want. Move up one space." I nodded, and moved to where she told me, before she pressed a green button, and the circle I was now at went from a dull gray color, to a rosy red. As soon as it happened, I felt just a little stronger.

"That one was for strength, I assume?" I say, looking up at her.

Nodding, she smiled. "See? You've gotten it already! And as long as you have it somewhere close to you, you'll get the effects from what you've done! So don't worry about suddenly losing a lot of power or magic, because it gets knocked away from you in battle or something! Now, let me go show blondie over here how it works."

Laughing, I smile back at her, and place the device into a pocket on my pants. No sense in losing it this early on. Walking back to the edge of the boat, I sit down and start to think about everything up to this point.

'_Well, in roughly the span of an hour or so, I've been through a city's destruction, fighting Sinspawn, fighting a huge bug type thing, been unconscious for the first time ever, outside of sleeping of course, and figured out how to use a magical artifact. And to think, it's only gonna get weirder from here.'

* * *

_

If you need a translation for the Al Bhed conversations, you should be able to find a translator on the net, by Google search or something. I'm assuming, though, that if you've played the game, you should know what was said. As always, please read and review! 


	4. Chapter 4: Mysteries

Chapter 4—Mysteries

It has been about an hour since the girl finished teaching Tidus how to use the sphere grid, and we still haven't had anything to eat. I don't know what they eat here in Spira, but right now, I don't particularly care. The only thing I've had to do, besides mess with the Sphere Grid some more, is read this old magazine type thing I found. It's called an Al Bhed Primer. Don't ask me where the name comes from. It looks like some sort of textbook for learning the language, but it only shows one letter and how it's used. Guess they must've done it in installments, for some reason. My perusing of the material is interrupted by Tidus' voice, coming from the other side of the ship.

"What's this? Some kind of crane?"

The guy with the mohawk turns around, and he doesn't look too happy with Tidus.

"Rao, oui! Kad yfyo vnus drana!"

Tidus seems to get the hint, despite not understanding the words, and slowly backs away, raising his hands.

"All right, all right! You don't have to shout!"

Apparently still bored, Tidus walks over to the girl, who just finished talking to one of the other men, and I walk over as well, figuring that we need to get moving. When I reach the other side of the ship, the girl gives me a small nod, before speaking.

"We found some ancient ruins, right beneath us! It's not active now, but there should still be some power left. We're gonna go down there and activate it, and then we should be able to salvage the big prize!" she says excitedly. Tidus and I give small nods of agreement.

"Okay, let's get to work!" she says, pulling the goggles over her head once more, and walking over to the side of the ship.

"Roger!" Tidus says, following her over. I just grin and follow the two of them.

We dive over the side of the ship, into the murky abyss below, and begin to dive downwards, towards the location of the ruins, or whatever it was that they've found. After a minute or two of swimming, we come upon the ruins. I'm not too experienced at diving, so my eyes are acting a little funny from being underwater. Therefore, I can't make out exactly what it is that we've found. The girl's goggles let her see clearly now, and she moves from spot to spot, pushing what appear to be buttons on several different consoles, and small lights come on after she's done with each one. We move deeper and deeper into the ruins, until she finally hits what I think is the last console, and turns around.

"Okay, that should do it! Let's get back to the boat!"

"Right!" I say, glad to be getting out from this place. Something about it gives me the creeps, and it's not just because I know everything that happens here. It just feels strange.

As we make our way back out to the entrance, the girl stops for a moment, and looks around, before making what I guess was a shrugging gesture and continuing to swim.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Ah...It's nothing. Just thought I saw something, that's all." she replies, as we near the entrance. Suddenly, the water in front of us churns violently, as we're thrown back from the wake of some sort of giant squid. Tros. Drawing my sword, I try to remember the trick to beating him in the game. Hopefully, it'll work here as well. Tidus draws his sword as well, but the girl just floats there, seemingly waiting on something.

"You guys attack it! When I say so, get back as fast as you can!" she says, waiting for us to make our move. We nod, and Tidus charges the creature, slashing at one of its tentacles with his blade. The creature gives a moan of pain, before swimming around the circular tube in the center of the chamber, trying to bide some time to heal.

'_That's it! We have to surround it!' _I think to myself, before turning to the girl.

"We have to surround this thing, so it can't run!" I yell, and both she and Tidus nod, going around the tube towards the front of the creature, as I circle around to the back. The squid, now seemingly confused at its sudden inability to escape, lashes a tentacle towards the girl, who quickly moves out of the way, pulling something from her bodysuit.

"Hey, you, get back!" she yells to me, and I suddenly realize I never gave her my name.

"The name's Ben!" I yell at her, while swimming away for a moment.

"Save the introductions for later, okay?" Tidus yells at me, before the girl throws the object at the squid, which looks at it with interest for a minute, before it explodes, throwing the creature back, but not killing it. About half of its tentacles are either shredded, or blown off by the attack, though.

Turning back around, I move in to slash at the squid from behind, while Tidus moves in from the front. The combined attack from the both of us gets another howl of pain from the squid. The girl swims in after we move back, studying the creature for a moment, before grabbing something off of it and swimming back.

"_She stole something from it. But what?' _I think, before she yells again.

"Get back! Another grenade coming through!" she yells, but this time she swims like a maniac _towards _Tros, holding the grenade in her hand. The fiend tries to slap her away with one of its remaining tentacles, but she evades again, moving right up to the creatures mouth. As it roars at her, she smiles, and pulls the pin of the grenade, throwing it down the creatures maw before it can react. Swimming away as fast as she can, the creature suddenly explodes, a cloud of blood and guts erupting from where the creature floated moments ago, before a wave of pyreflies floats up from its remains.

"Woohoo!" Tidus yells, and I sheath my sword, laughing at the girl's crazy antic.

"Hey, whatever works, huh?" I yell to her, and she turns around, smiling, before turning back and starting to swim off.

"Come on, let's get back to the surface!" she yells, Tidus and I following a moment after.

(Back on the ship)

Removing her goggles and helmet, the girl shakes out her blond hair, before walking over to the people sitting on deck.

"Fa vuiht dra airship! Dra naluntc fana nekrd!" one of them says, raising his hands in triumph.

"Huf, ruf du tnyk ed ib?"

Turning, they begin to walk to the door leading to the interior of the ship. Tidus starts to follow them, but is stopped by a harsh shove from one of the men standing outside.

"Oui, uidceta!" he says, before turning around and walking inside. Tidus seems even more annoyed than he was earlier, if such a thing were possible.

"Hey, I helped out too, didn't I?" he says indignantly, before crossing his arms and walking back over to me. "Sure are friendly to guests, huh?" he mutters. I laugh, and shake my head at Tidus' annoyed expression, as I turn and walk over to the side of the ship, sitting down again and reopening the Al Bhed Primer. Tidus just gives a short 'hmph', before walking over to the door and lying down, head resting against the wall.

"Uhh...hungry..." he moans, my stomach growling in agreement. Suddenly, the door opens again, and the girl walks out, kicking Tidus in the shoulder. Tidus looks up, as the girl places a plate of food in front of him, motioning for me to come over and eat as well. I stand up, and walk over, chuckling to myself at Tidus now, who seems to have gone slightly crazy at the sight of the food.

"Whoa! Right on!" he yells, beginning to scarf down the little bit of food that was in front of him. After about 10 seconds, he starts to choke, and I start laughing out loud now, unable to contain myself any more. The girl gives a short cry, and hands him a small canteen, which he drinks quickly, sighing in relief.

"It's cause you eat too fast!" she says, and I nod.

"I gotta agree with her on that one, Tidus. I don't think I've ever seen anyone eat quite that fast before!" I say, starting to laugh once again. Tidus just throws the canteen at me, before standing up and stretching, the girl walking up behind him.

"Hey!" she says, prompting him to turn around, as I just watch.

"Hello there. What is your name?" he asks her, smiling.

"Rikku." she replies. Tidus' grin gets wider, as he clenches his fists.

"Woohoo!" he cries. "You really do understand!" Then his grin disappears for a moment, as he speaks again.

"But why didn't you say so earlier?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't get the chance to!" she says, shaking her finger at Tidus. "Everyone thought _oui _were a fiend!"

Tidus gets a confused expression on his face, for what has to be the 12th time since I've been with him.

"Uh...'we'?" he says, cocking his head.

Rikku just stares back at him for a moment, before replying.

"Oh, 'oui' means 'you'." she says, before walking away from Tidus for a moment, a concerned expression on her face.

"Who are you guys, anyway?" Tidus asks. I cut in at this, seeing a chance to have some fun.

"They're the Al Bhed, Tidus. You didn't know that?" I say, grinning. Tidus just looks confused for a moment, as Rikku grins.

"That's right! But, how do you know who we are? And, who are you?" she says, the same confused look coming over her face after a moment.

"Well, first, I found a magazine that had 'Al Bhed Primer Vol. 1' on the front, on the deck over there, so I just took a logical guess. Second, the name's Ben. Nice to meet you, Rikku." I reply, earning an eye roll from Rikku at my logic.

"Funny. Wait, you're not Al Bhed haters, are you?" she says, turning to the both of us. I shake my head, but Tidus speaks out again.

"I don't even know what an Al Bhed is." he says, Rikku's eyes widening a moment.

'_Yup, this will be funny...' _I think to myself, awaiting the conversation between Rikku and Tidus.

"Where are you from?" she asks him, and I smile.

"Zanarkand. I'm a blitzball player. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" he says with pride, as Rikku just looks at him, confused.

"Did you hit your head or something?"

"Um, you guys hit me." he replies, as Rikku puts her hand behind her head, sheepishly.

"Oh, right...Do you remember anything before that?" she asks, crossing her arms.

"Well, yea. It all started when I was play..."

I tune Tidus out for the moment, as I don't really need to hear a recounting of everything up to this point. I honestly don't think I'll ever forget it, anyway. I watch in silence, as Rikkus face goes from wonder, to shock, then back to a solemn expression as Tidus finally finishes, a couple minutes later.

"Did I say something funny?" he says, seeing the expression on Rikku's face.

"You were near Sin. Don't worry, you'll be better in no time. They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?" she replies, looking at Tidus intently.

"You mean I'm sick?"

"Because of Sin's toxin, yeah."

Tidus frowns. "You sure?"

Rikku puts her hands on her hips. "Yeah, there is no Zanarkand anymore. Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So...no one plays blitzball there."

Tidus looks shocked by the sudden knowledge, as he throws his hands up in front of him.

"What do you mean, a thousand years ago? But, I saw Sin attack Zanarkand! You're saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!" he cries, somewhat mad and startled at the same time. Walking over to Tidus, I place my hand on his shoulder.

"Easy there, Tidus. Just breathe, okay?"

Rikku pauses for a moment, before snapping her fingers, apparently having gotten an idea.

"You said...you play blitzball?" she asks Tidus, who nods. "You know, you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you are, or you might find someone you recognize."

"Luca?" Tidus asks.

Rikku shakes her head, before starting to walk around in circles for a moment. After a minute, she walks behind Tidus and taps him on the back.

"Okay, leave it to me! I'll get you two to Luca, promise!" Tidus looks a little unsure at this, before Rikku speaks again. "You'd rather stay here?" Tidus gets a shocked expression, before quickly shaking his head, causing me to laugh again.

"Okay, I'll go tell the others. Wait here." she says, turning to leave, before stopping and turning back around, pointing a finger at Tidus.

"Oh, and one thing. Don't tell anyone you're from Zanarkand, okay? Yevon says it's a holy place. You might upset someone." she says, a childish tone to the last sentence, before she turns and walks back inside the ship. Tidus just mutters 'okay' under his breath, before turning and leaning on the ship's railing.

"I can't believe it. A thousand years in the future? No way!" he mutters to himself.

"Hey, it's okay, Tidus. We're both in the same boat, you know? I came from a completely different world, in case you didn't know." I say to him, hoping to make him feel a little better. He doesn't seem to have heard me, though. Walking over to the crane, he kicks it hard, just as the whole ship starts to shake, and several people run back out onto the deck frantically, only to fall down as the ship shakes harder. Looking out, I notice a large object moving towards the ship.

"Sin!"

"Sin ec lusa!"

"Ihtan ic! Ihtan ic!"

The deck suddenly erupts into chaos, as the men scramble around, trying to organize some sort of defense from the nearly invincible creature. The ship continues to rock violently, and Tidus and I start to lose our balance as well. Unfortunately, we're standing near the side, not the middle as the other men were, and we suddenly find ourselves hanging onto the ships edge. Screaming, Tidus falls into what appears to be some kind of whirlpool below us, and soon after, I lose my grip as well, screaming the whole way down.

* * *

So, how was it? Next up is one of my favorite scenes in the game! As always, read and review please!


	5. Chapter 5: Discoveries

Chapter 5—Discoveries

Waking up, the first thing I realize is that I'm still alive. The second thing I notice, is that I'm floating, and that almost causes me to drown. Sputtering water, I finally get myself back to a position of treading water, and look around. Tidus is floating face-down in the water, a couple feet from me, and I quickly swim over to revive him.

'_Hmm, guess I get to slap him after all...' _I think to myself, a cheeky grin spreading over my face. As I raise my hand to smack him, though, he wakes up, sputtering water much the way I did. Mumbling random curses to myself because of having my fun spoiled, I decide to take a better look around. Water, water, water...hmm. Guess there isn't too much else here.

"Rikku!" Tidus yells, looking around for any sign of the blond haired girl. Suddenly, I notice an object flying towards us, or rather Tidus, at quite the high speed. Before he realizes what's happening, he's smacked in the face by a small blue object, roughly the size of a soccer ball. Holding his head, he looks up at the object, before catching it easily and smiling.

"Blitzball!"

"Hey! You okay?" a voice yells from a distance away, and I turn to the right to see where it came from. When I looked around, I failed to notice the small beach that was a couple hundred feet from us. Squinting my eyes, I could just make out the figures of several men standing on the beach, waving to us.

Tidus gets a nice smile on his face, and yells back to the men.

"Heeey!" he yells, before taking the ball and diving underwater. Confused for a moment, I suddenly get my unspoken question answered, as the ball comes flying out of the water, followed by Tidus a moment later. As the ball reaches the apex of its flight, Tidus flips upside down and smashes the ball towards the beach in a perfect bicycle kick. The ball goes sailing towards the beach at about twice the speed it flew at us, narrowly missing the person who yelled at us, sailing by his head.

"Whoa-ho!" he yells, as we start to swim towards the beach, thankful to finally find some land for once.

And no, the cavern we found doesn't count.

Making it to the beach, the man smirks at Tidus, as I shake the water off of me, shivering slightly from the dampness. Tidus simply smiles back, as he approaches the man, who I now notice to have quite the hairstyle. Tall, orange hair, swept back almost like a crested wave. _'Boy, bet he stands out in a crowd...' _I think to myself, recognizing the man instantly. Of course, with the hairstyle he has, it would be hard not to. As Tidus approaches the group, two of the men turn and leave, but the man who yelled earlier turns around as he and the rest of his gang walk towards Tidus, quickly surrounding him.

"Yo! Hiya!" Tidus says, grinning from ear to ear.

"You wanna try that move one more time?" the man asks Tidus, speaking with a definite accent, though I couldn't quite place it. I had thought Tidus' smile couldn't get any bigger, but I was quickly proven wrong as he picks up the blitzball and proceeds to demonstrate the move once more, but this time in the opposite direction. Needless to say, much the same results occur, as the ball goes flying over the ocean so quickly it leaves a small wake behind it. Everyone lets out a gasp of surprise, as the man speaks again.

"You're no amateur. Who you play for?" he asks Tidus.

"The Zanarkand Abes!" Tidus replies proudly, making me slap my face in response to Tidus' idiocy.

"Just ignore him. He got to close to Sin's toxin, isn't that right Tidus?" I say to him, clapping a hand over his mouth and poking him in the ribs with my other hand. Tidus nods, wincing slightly from my sharp, sudden attack, if you could call it an attack. The men murmur to one another, something about 'a miracle', and 'praise to Yevon.'

"Sin's toxin got to you. But, you're still alive. Praise be to Yevon!" the man says, before doing a gesture than I recognized all too well, having always wanted to do it for myself. Right forearm over the left, they move their hands in a circle in front of them, before moving them into a rough sphere shape and bowing. Otherwise known as what I simply called, the 'prayer to Yevon.'

"All right, back to practice!" the man says, as the others disperse off, apparently having been in the middle of blitzball practice when we dropped in, for lack of a better term. "I'm Wakka, coach and captain of the Besaid Aurochs, brudda." he says, looking to me and Tidus with a smile. I smile back, simply bowing for now. I didn't want to mess any of the storyline up for now, as I remembered that Tidus isn't shown the prayer until a little later. Tidus' only response is to have his stomach growl, making me chuckle a bit.

"What? You hungry?" Wakka asks, before turning around and shrugging. "Okay! Back to the village, I'll get you somethin'." he says, as he starts to walk towards what I guess is the path leading to the village. Tidus starts to follow eagerly at the mention of eating, and I follow along too.

As we're walking, Tidus seems to be a little edgy over something, almost like he's having a mental fight with himself. Finally, one side wins, as he speaks up to Wakka.

"It's true Zanarkand was destroyed, right? A thousand years ago? So, it's just a big pile of rubble now, isn't it?"

Wakka stops, and turns to Tidus, seemingly thinking Tidus either has amnesia, or just isn't too bright, before beginning to explain.

"Long time ago, there were a whole lot of cities in Spira. Big cities with machina—machines—to run 'em. People played all day and let the machina do the work. And then, well, take a look." he says, motioning to the small ruins around us, that we hadn't noticed before.

"Sin came, and destroyed the machina cities. And Zanarkand along with 'em. Yeah, that was about a thousand years ago, like you said. If you ask me, Sin's our punishment for letting things get out of hand." he says, his voice beginning to take on an angry tone as he continues. "What gets me though...is we gotta suffer, all because of what some goofballs did way back when!" Taking a moment to calm down a little, he begins to speak once again, as Tidus and I just continue to listen intently. "Course, we must always repent for our sins! That's important! It's just that, it's hard to keep at it sometimes, you know?"

Tidus nods, his face falling a little, unbeknownst to Wakka. I watch on, feeling a little sad for Tidus. After all, how would you feel if you knew your home was destroyed? Wakka suddenly laughs, breaking through the somber silence, before grabbing Tidus around the neck in a headlock, and giving him a noogie, Tidus trying desperately to squirm his way out.

"But you from the Zanarkand Abes–that was a good one! Hey, I'm not saying the team never existed, ya? But you gotta figure a team living in luxury like that'd be pretty soft, eh?" he says, as Tidus finally manages to squeeze his head out from under Wakka's arm, rubbing the top of his head. Tidus just smiles a crooked smile, before running off ahead, me and Wakka following. As we approach Tidus, Wakka yells out to him, noticing he's going the wrong way.

"Hey! It's this way!" he yells, turning and running to the left of where Tidus was. I follow Wakka, as Tidus is now the one lagging behind. After a moment, we come to a large cliff, overlooking a lagoon of some sort. Wakka and I stand at the ledge, as Tidus jogs up and joins us. Looking down into the water, the next thing I know, Tidus goes flying down the cliff. I stare on, before beginning to laugh at his situation. Suddenly, I find a hand on my shoulder, which scares me. Instinct takes over, and with deceiving strength for my small frame, I grab the arm that the hand is attached to, and bend over, throwing the thing over my head and off the cliff, into the water below. Only when I get a glimpse of reddish orange hair, do I realize what I just did. I just threw Wakka off the cliff.

"Hey, real funny, ya!" he yells up to me, shaking his fist in mock anger. My face goes from a horrified expression to a look of amusement.

"Well, you shouldn't have grabbed me! What's the saying again, 'never underestimate your opponent'? I yell down to him.

Crossing his arms, he speaks again. "I didn't know we were opponents, brudda!"

Ignoring him, I begin to think for a moment, looking at the sky, then back down to the water again.

'_Yup, this is going to hurt, but whatever. Oh well, some famous last words...hmm...Banzai!' _I think to myself, before diving off the cliff, turning a full forward flip in mid air, before splashing down in the water hands-first, like an Olympic diver.

When I resurface, the first thing I notice is Wakka waving for me to follow him; Tidus is already near him, so I quickly swim over to rejoin them. After a minute or two of swimming, Wakka stops for a moment. Tidus continues swimming just a second too late, and I wince slightly as Wakka pulls him into a headlock for the second time in about 10 minutes.

"Lemme go!" Tidus yells, annoyed at Wakka's juvenile actions.

"Got a favor to ask ya." he says, though the answer should be painfully obvious, even for Tidus. Sure enough, Tidus gets it right.

"You want me on your team, right?"

Wakka lets Tidus go, who sinks for a moment at the sudden lack of buoyancy, before resurfacing and facing Wakka.

"A major blitz tournament's coming up. All the teams in Spira'll be there! It's so huge, I'm sure someone will recognize you! Then you can go back to your old team, right?" he says, staring at Tidus, who still looks unsure. "It'll be fun! What do you say, huh? Come on, come on!"

"Yea, Tidus, he has a point. It _will _be fun, especially because I've never seen a blitzball game in person before!" I say, trying to help Wakka convince Tidus. Tidus just floats there for a moment, apparently thinking about it, before smiling.

"Sure thing." he says, beginning to swim away from the two of us. Wakka quickly swims after him, and I follow, as Wakka yells after Tidus.

"Dude, our team is gonna rock, eh?"

After a couple more minutes of swimming, we finally reach solid ground again, and I resist the urge to kiss it. Swimming is hard, when you don't swim very often, that is. Tidus and Wakka walk up to the edge of yet another cliff, although this one is more like a small overhang then the large cliff we were at a few minutes ago. It's a lot higher in elevation than everywhere else though, and in the distance we can see a small village, with a large building in the background, which I assume is the temple.

"This is where I was born." Wakka begins, staring out at the village. "I started blitz when I was five. I joined the Aurochs at thirteen...ten years ago. Ten years...and we never won a game. Well, after last year's tournament, I quit. Time seemed right."

'_No kidding...' _I mutter to myself.

Wakka walks away, apparently going to the path leading to the village. Tidus' stomach growls again, and he runs after him, with myself following a moment after.

"So after quitting, I got this new job, ya? But every time my mind wandered, I thought about the game." he says, continuing to walk. Tidus simply nodded, before speaking.

"Ten years without a single win'll do that." he says, as Wakka's face scrunches up.

"My first match last year was my big chance. But something was on my mind. I couldn't focus." Tidus smirks a little at this.

"Nice excuse."

I slap my face, as Wakka turns around indignantly, yelling "Hey, hey!" at Tidus, who continues.

"So, you want to win the next tournament—go out with a bang." he says, folding his arms over his chest. Wakka nods. "So, what's our goal?" he says, thrusting a fist out in front of him, pointed up towards the air. Wakka just shrugs, before answering.

"I don't care how we do. Long as we play our best. If we give it our all, I can walk away happy."

Tidus doesn't seem to like that answer, and waves his hands in front of him. "No, no, no, no, no. If I say 'What's our goal?', you say 'Victory!' When you play in a blitzball tournament, you play to win!"

Wakka looks stunned for a moment. "Victory? You serious?" Now it's Tidus' turn to nod. Continuing down the path in silence, we're suddenly approached by two figures.

"Ah, the two from the sea." the first says, eyeing the both of us.

"Be on guard. There're fiends on the road today!" the second says, turning back to the first.

"After surviving your run-in with Sin, 'twould be a shame if something happened now." the first says, before they walk off towards where we just came from, back towards the beach I think.

"Who were they?" Tidus asks, and I have to agree, not remembering exactly who those two were.

"Luzzu and Gatta—Crusaders." Wakka replies.

"Crews of what?" Tidus asks, not understanding Wakka at all.

"What, you forgot that too?" Wakka says, to which Tidus simply hangs his head. Wakka walks over and places an arm around Tidus' shoulder, before speaking again. "Hey, sorry. Don't worry about it, I'll help you out." he says, as Tidus lifts his head.

"Cool. In return, come tournament time, I'll make sure we take the cup!"

Wakka smiles. "Cool. About the Crusaders, you can ask them yourself. They've got a lodge in the village."

Continuing down the trail once again, I hear a noise, sounding much like a wolf howling. Placing my hand on my sword, I get ready for anything. Wakka and Tidus seem to notice my uneasiness, and slow down some. Suddenly, 2 wolf-like quadrupeds bolt out from the bushes, and stand in front of us, growling.

"Coyotes. Don't worry, they aren't too much of a problem, ya?" Wakka says, pulling out his blitzball.

"Wakka, this isn't the time for a game!" Tidus says, apparently not realizing yet what Wakka is doing.

"Hey, I know. This is my weapon, you know!" he says, grinning at Tidus. Tidus just shrugs.

"Less talk, more fiend whacking, you guys!" I yell, having charged the pair of fiends, and now holding off claw swipes from both of them. Wakka nods, before staring at the pair for a moment.

"Stand back! This is gonna be good!" he yells, before taking careful aim and throwing the ball at the Coyotes, which bounces off the left side of the head of the first, bouncing and smashing into the side of the head of the second. As the ball rockets back towards Wakka, I can't help but be awed by the precision in the attack. That is, of course, before Tidus charges and decapitates the first Coyote completely, the head bursting into pyreflies to be followed by the body. I turn back around, and dodge a pouncing attack by the remaining fiend, before slicing it's neck wide open with a quick slash. The fiend falls, and dissipates as well after a moment.

"Now that they've been taken care of, on to the village!" Wakka says, putting the blitzball away again and walking down the path, the two of us following suit.

After a couple more minutes of walking, we come upon the village. It's not very big, but bigger than you may expect. Straw huts decorate the surrounding landscape, looking like an indian village for a moment. That is, until you see the temple. The temple is a huge stone structure, reaching easily ten times as high, if not more, as any other building in the area. As we near the entrance, Wakka motions for us to walk over to where he's standing. We do so, and he turns to the both of us after a moment.

"Besaid Village."

"They got any food there?" Tidus asks, and I groan.

"Is that all you think about, Tidus? Your stomach?" I ask, crossing my arms. Wakka just points to a hut farther off.

"We'll get you two something over there later. Take a look around first." he says, motioning to the village. "Let's see...the Crusaders lodge is over yonder. Luzzu and Gatta are usually there." he says, motioning to a large blue tent on the left side of the village. "Oh, right." he says, snapping his fingers, as if he had just remembered something.

"You two do remember the prayer, don't you?" he asks us. I nod, but Tidus shakes his head 'no'.

"Man, that's like the basics of the basics. Alright, I'll show you." he replies, doing the same gesture he did when he first met us on the beach. "Go ahead, you two try."

I do the gesture as well as I can, and Tidus does the same. Wakka smiles at us, before speaking again.

"Hey, not bad. Okay, now go present yourselves to the temple summoner."

I start walking towards the temple with Wakka, but Tidus just stands there for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "Hey, you coming or what?" I say to him, which snaps him out of his trance.

"Oh, yeah...uh, right!" he says, jogging down the path to catch up with us. As we reach the temple, I look up, really noticing how big it is now that I'm right beneath the arched walkway. It's bigger than most of the buildings I've seen back home, but then again, I live in the country, so that isn't saying much. As we walk inside, we're greeted by the sight of several people around the edges of the room, praying to what I suppose are statues of former summoners. Tidus walks over to a statue, that appears to be clad in some sort of priestly robe, holding a long staff in his hand. A man then walks over to him, noticing his examination of the statue.

"Ten years have passed since Lord Braska became high summoner. And finally we recieved a statue for our temple." the man says, causing my eyes to go wide for a moment at the mention of Braska. I remember that Braska was Yuna's father, and also that Auron was one of his guardians, as well as Jecht, Tidus' father. Though, wisely, I don't say anything for now.

"Whats a high summoner?" Tidus asks, causing everyone in the room to gasp. "I...I got too close to Sin's, uh, toxin." he stammers, quickly trying to make an excuse for himself.

"The summoners are practitioners of a sacred art, sworn to protect the people of Yevon." the man explains. "Only a chosen few become summoners, who call forth entities of great power: the aeons. The aeons hear our prayers and come down to us. They are the blessing of Yevon."

Tidus nods slowly, before turning to me. "You understand what he just said?" I nod.

"Come on, let's go back and find Wakka. I'll explain it all later."

Walking out of the temple, I look around, trying to remember exactly where Wakka's hut is. Finally spying Wakka waving to us, we walk over so we can rest for a little while, and I hopefully can better explain about summoners and such to Tidus. Wakka speaks first, though, and I can't help but laugh at what's said.

"Sorry, man. Not time for lunch yet."

Tidus' face falls at this, and I just laugh harder, as Tidus punches me in the shoulder, muttering something I can't quite make out. Wakka waves us inside the hut then.

"Take a nap, you two. You look bushed." I smile at the hospitality, before putting my hand up.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Wakka. I can't sleep during the day. It's just the way I am, for some reason." I say, moving out of the way of Tidus. I may not be able to sleep, but apparently Tidus surely can. Within 2 minutes, he's sound asleep on a makeshift bed. Pulling the Sphere Grid out of my pocket, I begin to move around and scan the different nodes on it, hoping to see what abilities it has discerned that I possess. First one that I see is...

"Haste? You're kidding me!" I exclaim, eyes going wide.

I had expected some useful abilities, but not until much later on. I hadn't expected to be able to learn Haste so soon. So soon, in fact, it was only about 4 nodes from my current position.

"Hey, you have a Sphere Grid too? Pretty cool, ya?" Wakka says, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah, I do. How do you know about them?" I ask, curious.

"They're pretty common in Spira. Most people have one, to help them defend themselves against fiends and the like." he responds, earning a small nod from me. During all the excitement, Tidus still hasn't moved an inch, or even gave any indication he was alive. The kid sleeps like a rock, I tell you. I turn my head back to Wakka, just in time to see someone approach the door of the hut.

"Greetings. How goes the trials of the apprentice summoner?" the man says, performing the prayer as he speaks. Wakka also does the prayer gesture, before replying.

"I dunno. Lu and Kimahri are in there with her."

The man nods slowly, before speaking again.

"You could at least go see how they are doing." Wakka shakes his head at this, looking down.

"We can't interfere. It's a rule." The man seems slightly angry at this, as his tone gets slightly more fierce.

"But, it's been nearly..."

Wakka cuts him off at this point, walking out of the hut towards the temple, as if to say, "Fine, come on." I follow the two of them, knowing who they're referring to.

_(Flashback)_

_Several people are standing on a dock, in front of a boat in Zanarkand. They appear to be talking to a young woman, who seems slightly disturbed by something. The woman is first to speak, turning to one of the men._

"_But, it's been nearly..."_

"_It's been nearly a day already." one of the men interrupts her, causing her to turn to him._

"_Perhaps you could do look for us." she says, her tone hopeful. The man simply smiles._

"_People are searching for him now." he replies, before walking away._

"_Thank you_._" she says to no one in particular, clasping her hands._

_(End Flashback)_

_(Flashback)_

_The same woman from before is talking to a young boy, apparently her son._

"_Who cares whether he comes back or not?" the boy says, looking up at his mother. The woman thinks for a minute, before speaking._

"_But he might die!"_

_The boy simply stands there, no emotion showing at all except anger._

"_Fine, let him!"_

_The woman seems hurt by the forceful answer, and hangs her head._

"_Do you...Do you hate him so?" The boy nods in response. "If he dies, you'll never be able to tell him how much you hate him."_

_(End Flashback)_

My attention is drawn to the doors opening suddenly as Tidus walks in, seeing Wakka talking to the same man from before, while I'm standing in front of the statue of High Summoner Braska. Running over to Wakka, the man walks off as Tidus approaches. I walk over as well, listening to the conversation.

"Is something wrong?" Tidus asks, confused. Wakka doesn't give any sort of yes or no, just turns to Tidus and speaks.

"The summoner hasn't returned from the trial." he says, before putting a hand to his chin in thought for a moment.

"Eh?" Tidus says, confused as ever.

"Well, apprentice summoner, really..."

"Ah?"

"There's a room in there called the Cloister of Trials." Wakka explains, staring at Tidus. "Beyond is where the apprentice summoner prays. If the prayer is heard, the apprentice becomes a fully-fledged summoner, remember?" Tidus crosses his arms over his chest.

"So, someone is in there somewhere and they haven't come back out. Right, I got it."

"A day's already gone by." Wakka says, looking at the doorway leading to the Cloister of Trials.

"Is it particularly dangerous in there?" Tidus asks, clearly confused as to why it would be of such concern for someone to spend a day in a temple.

"Sometimes, yes."

"Why don't you go in and help?" he asks Wakka.

Wakka shakes his head, before answering. "There's already guardians in there. Besides, it's forbidden."

Before Wakka can respond, Tidus runs up the stairs, almost to the top, before turning around.

"Hey, but what if something happens? What if the summoner dies?"

"The precepts must be obeyed!" Wakka retorts.

"Like I care!" he says, before turning and running through the doorway, making everyone else in the temple gasp for the second time that day.

I stare for a moment, awestricken at what Tidus just said. When I first played the game, I didn't think anything of that line about 'what if something happens.' I passed it off as just another line. Now, though, after seeing his emotions, I start to understand just how admirable he really is. He doesn't even know who's inside, or what's inside, but he's ready to risk life and limb to save them.

"Uh-oh. This isn't good, brudda." Wakka says, turning to me.

"Should we go stop him?" I ask.

Wakka nods. "We don't really have much of a choice." he says, before we run up the steps and into the Cloister ourselves.

"Stick close to me. I know the way through this place." Wakka says, and I nod, knowing how much I hated to do these trials in the game. Frowning at something, Wakka speaks again. "Looks like I'm not the only one, ya?" he says, pointing at a sphere. "That shouldn't be there. Tidus already came this way, and figured out this part of the puzzle."

"So, what do we do?" I inquire.

"We follow his path. What else?" he says, moving down a passageway.

After several minutes of walking, we come upon a smaller hallway, leading to an open area with a circular device in the middle. And who happens to be standing in front of it, but Tidus.

"Hey! What's gotten into you?"Wakka says, placing a hand on Tidus' shoulder, causing him to turn around. "Hey, it's okay. Only summoners, apprentice summoners, and their guardians can enter here. It's a tradition. Very important." Wakka explains to Tidus, who simply looks at Wakka.

"So what about you?"

Wakka smiles again. "Me? I'm a guardian."

"A guardian?"

I cut in for a moment, hoping to draw attention back to the task at hand.

"Shouldn't we get moving again? The apprentice might be in danger." I say, even though I know the truth.

Wakka nods, as we all step onto the circular device, while reveals itself to be an elevator, leading down to below the Cloister of Trials. Turning to Tidus, he begins to explain about summoners and guardians.

"Summoners go on a pilgrimage to pray at every temple in Spira. Guardians protect them. The guardians in there now...One of em's got a short fuse, and who knows what the other's thinking."

I chuckle to myself. _"Sounds like Lulu and Kimahri, alright."_

As the elevator reaches the bottom, Wakka sighs, before turning to the two of us.

"Well, now that we've come this far...might as well go all the way!" he says, before walking towards the door leading to the inner chamber. Opening the door, we're greeted with the sight of two people. The first is a woman, wearing a long, black, strapless dress, than seems to be made of belts from the waist down. Her hair is also done up exquisitely, reminding me somewhat of Japanese hairstyles.

The second is a large bipedal lion creature, completely covered in blue fur, and wielding a large polearm of some sort. He seems to be the more serious of the two. The woman then turns to Wakka, her face holding a slight expression of anger.

"What are you doing here? Didn't think we'd be able to handle it?" she says, her slight glare causing Wakka to cringe for a moment, placing his hand on the back of his head sheepishly.

"No, it's uh...it's just..." he trails off, turning to Tidus. "See, I told you she gets mad easy."

Tidus doesn't seem to notice the woman's anger, or care for that matter, as he walks closer to her.

"Is the summoner okay?"

The woman's face goes from anger back to apathy, before momentarily switching to confusion.

"Who are you? And for that matter, who is he?" she says, pointing to me. Suddenly, the introductions are interrupted by a door at the top of the stairs across the room opening, and a young girl walking out. The girl stands still for a moment, before suddenly falling forward, towards the stairs. Everyone gasps and steps forward, but the lion creature races forward, darting up the steps to catch the girl in his arms gently. She regains her balance, and fixes her hair, before standing up straight and speaking.

"I've done it. I have become a summoner!"

After checking to make sure the girl is okay, the group of guardians exit, myself and Tidus trailing behind, as we go back up the elevator and exit the Cloister of Trials. As we exit the final door, a group of people run up, surrounding the summoner and her guardians, happy to see that they are all okay. Tidus and I simply exit the temple, deciding to leave the group alone for now. Unbeknownst to us, Wakka had followed us out, shortly after followed by the summoner, guardians, and rest of the group of people.

"Hey, over here!" he yells as he runs past us, towards a large circle in the middle of the village.

Walking over, we see that there are people now coming out of their houses and heading towards the circle. Suddenly I remember what's about to happen, and grin to myself.

"_This is going to be awesome!" _I think to myself, walking up to the edge of the circle.

As the summoner walks into the circle, everyone gathers around, as Wakka punches Tidus on the arm.

"What? Ow!" he exclaims, caught unaware.

"Wait till you see this!" Wakka replies, grinning from ear to ear, much the same as myself.

Tidus looks around. "I can't see anything!" he retorts.

Wakka walks closer to the summoner, before speaking.

"Ready?"

She nods, before gripping her staff with one hand. "Okay."

As Wakka steps back, the girl brings her staff back behind her, spreading her legs out, one behind the other, as 4 beams of light rise up from a circle formation around her and spiral around each other in to the sky. As the 4 beams meet, a bright flash of light appears, and something comes diving down, before it stops and levels out a few feet above the ground, spreading its wings and revealing itself for the first time. It appears to be a giant, multicolored bird creature, easily 5 times as large as the summoner herself. As it lands, she strokes its neck gently, before an outburst of cheers erupt from the gathered crowd, signaling the success of the girl's first summon. Turning to look at Wakka, I stretch for a moment, before speaking.

"I think I'm going to go relax until tonight. There's a celebration or something, right?" I ask, turning to leave.

"Yeah, there's gonna be a big party tonight, ya? You better show up! Don't want to miss it!"

I smile back, as I walk away. "Don't worry, I'll be there!"


	6. Chapter 6: Beginnings

Chapter 6—Beginnings

Feint. Elbow smash. Spin kick. High kick.

My body was a blur of motion as I went through my daily routine, practicing some of my martial arts skills. Nothing taught, mind you. Just various things I've picked up through watching others, and also trial and error. I always figured, relying too heavily on what you've been shown would only lead to defeat. My style has always been to adjust to the opponent, and take opportunities when they arise. As I finished with a jumping roundhouse kick, I heard someone clapping behind me. Whirling around, I see Tidus leaning against a tree, a small smile on his face.

"You liked my demonstration, I take it?" I ask him, a small smirk crossing my features. Nodding, he walked over to me.

"Well, least I know now you won't be in as much trouble if you drop your sword or something!" he says, laughing. Grinning, I start to laugh too, as Tidus turns and speaks again.

"Come on, the party's about to start!" he says, running back towards Besaid. Looking up, I frown. The sun was about to go down. In the heat of training, I hadn't noticed it getting dark. Turning towards the village, I run as fast as I can, hoping to make it back to civilization before dark, so as to avoid any fiends that might appear.

As I arrive at the village, I look on in amazement. Everyone is out, talking and laughing, with lanterns everywhere to light the surroundings. I glance around, hoping to find someone I recognize, and spot Tidus and Wakka, talking nearby. The rest of the Aurochs are a few feet from them, conversing among themselves I assume. Walking over, I catch the last half of their conversation.

"...a little fuzzy, so don't mind him if he says anything odd. Come on, say hi."Wakka says, shoving Tidus forward.

"Uh...Hi, guys._" _he says, obviously nervous. "So, what's our goal?"

"To do our best!" the other Aurochs reply. Wakka cuts in a second later, shaking his head.

"Nope, we got a new goal now!Our new goal...is victory! To win every match, defeat every opposing team! To bring the Crystal Cup back to our island! That's all we need to do to win! Easy, ya?" he says, pumping a hand into the air. The Aurochs look a little unsure of this, muttering 'Victory?' among themselves for a moment, before breaking out into shouts.

"Victory! Victory!"

I smile a little at Wakka's pep talk, and look around some more, spotting the summoner a few yards away, talking to someone. I decide to go over and introduce myself, seeing as how I will be traveling with her and everything. Walking over, I notice just how pretty she looks, standing in the light of a lantern.

'_Come on now, Ben. Pull yourself together. You're not here to examine her, you came to introduce yourself.' _I say to myself.

"Uh...hi." I say, awkwardly trying to introduce myself.

She simply smiles back, seemingly noticing my unease. "Hello. What's your name, if you don't mind my asking?" she says, folding her hands in front of her.

"Ben. And you are?"

"Yuna. Very nice to meet you, Ben." she replies, doing the prayer gesture as an offer of greeting. I smile, before mimicking the movement.

"Same. So, you're leaving on your pilgrimage soon, I hear?" I say, looking back at Tidus for a split second, who's still talking to Wakka and the Aurochs.

Yuna nods, before smiling. "Yes. You've met my guardians, I believe?"

"Yes, I believe I have, but didn't catch their names. Besides Wakka." I answer, continuing my feigned ignorance.

"The woman over there is Lulu." she says, pointing to the woman dressed in black. "And that is Kimahri. He's a Ronso, from Mount Gagazet." she says, pointing to the blue lion creature.

"I see. Well, it was nice meeting you Yuna, and I hope to see you again." I say, deciding to make a hasty exit upon seeing Tidus approaching the two of us.

"It was nice to meet you too. Goodbye!" she says, as I hurriedly exit before Tidus approaches. I can't help but frown, overhearing several comments as Tidus approaches Yuna.

"You heathen!"

"Stay away from the summoner!"

"You're a bad man!"

'_Boy, friendly bunch, aren't they...' _I think to myself. Walking a slight distance away, I silently listen in on Tidus and Yuna's conversation, from the cover of a duo of palm trees.

"I'm Yuna. Thank you so much for your help earlier." she says, smiling at Tidus, who places a hand behind his head, slightly blushing.

"I'm sorry about that. Wasn't that...Wasn't I not supposed to...Guess I...kind of overreacted." he says, fumbling for words. I stifle a giggle, before continuing to listen.

"Oh, no. I was...overconfident." she replies.

Tidus scuffs a toe into the dirt for a moment, before speaking again.

"Um, I saw that aeon thing. That's amazing!" he says.

Yuna gets a broad grin on her face, clasping her hands in front of her happily.

"Really? Do you think I can become high summoner?"

Tidus nods. I almost laugh again, thinking to myself about how he probably has no clue what a high summoner is. Suddenly, a kid walks up, and tugs slightly on Yuna's skirt.

"Lady Yuna, come play with me some more!" the kid says, voice exuberant with happiness.

Yuna nods, before turning back to Tidus.

"So, tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow?" Tidus asks.

"We're going on the same boat, aren't we?"

"Oh, really?" Tidus replies, having not known about it.

"We can talk more. You can tell me all about Zanarkand!" she says, before walking off to play with the kid.

'_Now how did she know Tidus was from Zanarkand?' _I think, utterly dumbfounded by Yuna's final words. _'Oh well. Don't ask, just accept.'_

Walking back out from behind my hiding place, I walk up to Tidus just in time to see Wakka approach, shoving an elbow into Tidus' side playfully.

"She's cute, ya?" he says, grinning broadly at the smaller boy.

"Yeah!" Tidus says, making me smile.

'_And so the romance begins...' _I say to myself silently, before Wakka speaks up again.

"Don't get no ideas."

Tidus holds his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender. "No promises there, big guy. Hey, but what if she, like, comes on to me?" he asks. Wakka frowns slightly, before smiling again.

"That's not going to happen." he says, turning to look at the both of us now. "If you two get tired, let me know. I had some beds made up for you."

Yawning a little, I now realize just how tired I am. And with no way to tell how late it is, I decide I better get some sleep, just in case.

"I think I'll take that offer right now, Wakka. What about you?" I ask Tidus. Nodding, he turns to Wakka.

"Yea, I'm pretty tired myself." he says, stretching to emphasize the point. "Where are we sleeping?" Turning, Wakka walks back to the hut where Tidus was at earlier.

"Right here. Sleep tight, you two." he says, before walking away, presumably back to the others.

Entering the hut, I notice what appears to be our beds, one in each corner of the room. Walking over to one, I pause long enough to take my pants off, fold them, and place them on the table next to me, before climbing into the bed. Closing my eyes, I begin to drift off into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

"I hate you!" 

Those words are the alarm clock that jolts me out of my sleep, causing me to almost fall out of the bed. Sitting up, I notice Tidus sitting straight up in the bed, breathing heavily, and looking as if he'd just come face to face with the one thing that he wanted to kill most in the world. Which, now that I think about it, he probably had. Suddenly, I hear a pair of voices outside. Throwing a finger over my lips to signal Tidus to stay quiet, we sneak over to the door, in the hopes of eavesdropping on this conversation. Peering out the door, I notice Lulu and Wakka, who appear to be having an argument.

"He does look a lot like Chappu. I was surprised, too, the first time I saw him. But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Chappu." she says, her voice calm. Suddenly, her voice changes, becoming laced with anger. "You shouldn't have brought him here in the first place!" she hisses at Wakka. Wakka looks chastised for a moment, before replying in an equally persuasive tone.

"Yea, but...he needed our help!"

"Excuses again?" she says.

"Yeah, but..." Wakka says, trying to find a way to calm his fellow guardian down. Lulu, however, would have none of it.

"That's it. No more. Enough, Wakka!" she says, making Wakka cringe, before she walks away, leaving Wakka to his own devices. Wakka simply sighs, before turning back to walk in the tent, and coming face to face with Tidus.

"Ah! Scare me half to death, why don't ya?" he says, jumping back. Tidus apparently doesn't care that he just scared Wakka, because he just starts to speak without asking him if he's okay, or anything.

"So, who's Chappu?" The look on Wakka's face flashes to anger for a moment, as he realizes that Tidus was listening, then to sorrow as he starts to explain.

"My little brother, Chappu. He looked like you."

Giving a small nod of acknowledgment, Tidus speaks again."He's dead?"

Wakka flinches a moment, before answering. "He was with the Crusaders when they fought Sin last year. He didn't make it." he says, hanging his head. "I first heard on the day of the tournament."

Looking over at Wakka, I begin to speak for the first time since awakening. "Man, bet that was tough. Having one of the most anticipated days of your career shattered by the news that your brother died to Sin..."

"Yeah. It was tough. But, I had my team there for support, and I'm glad I did. Made it a lot easier to deal with, you know?"

Smiling, I nod. "I've been there. I know how it feels to lose a loved one..."I trail off, lowering my head.

"I became a guardian to fight Sin, ya?" Tidus frowns at this.

"Revenge, then?" Wakka nods.

"That was the idea. But now, I'm more worried about a stupid game then avenging my brother. Well, after the next tournament, I'll be a guardian full time." Hanging his head again for a moment, he continues. "I know it looks like I'm using you, but I'm not."

Tidus smiles, and shrugs before replying. "Don't worry. I mean, I owe you a lot. You really helped me out, you know? What I mean is...thanks, Wakka." he says, extending his hand for Wakka to shake. Wakka lifts his hand, but then pulls away, shaking his head slightly.

"Stop, you're embarassing me!"

Yawning, I decide to speak up once again, just to remind them of the current time.

"You know, it's sometime around 2 in the morning or something. Shouldn't we be getting some rest for tomorrow?" I ask, scanning the other 2 intently. Nods from both follow, and all 3 of us return to our respective tents, soon to drift back into slumber. As I lay there, I can't help but think about what's to come.

"_Still have yet to meet Seymour, and all the other major enemies and such. Wonder if that'll be any different, now that I'm actually here and not just looking through an outside view?"_

Soon, I fall asleep again, still pondering the events yet to happen.

* * *

The next morning, I awaken to find Tidus still asleep, and look around for a moment to make sure that all of my stuff is still with me before we leave. Katana, check. Sphere Grid, check. Suddenly, I realize another thing I hadn't quite thought of yet. I didn't have any money. How could I buy food and other things without any money? For that matter, where could I get any? Dismissing the thought, I notice that Tidus is beginning to wake up. 

"Morning. Sleep well?" I ask, stifling a yawn. Tidus yawns, and stand up before answering.

"Yeah. You?"

"Fine, I guess. Not much of a heavy sleeper. Come on, let's go find the others before they take off without us." I reply, walking out the tent, Tidus right behind me. Looking down the village trail, lit by the rising sun, I notice Wakka and Lulu standing near the village entrance. Tidus bounds over to them intent on starting a conversation, but Wakka beats him to it.

"Hey! Sleepyhead! Something I want to give you." he says, drawing out from behind his back what appears to be a sword made out of fine blue crystal, glimmering in the early morning sunlight. Lulu seems to be in a small bit of shock over this fact.

"Whoa! You're giving this...to me?" Tidus says, taking the sword and examining it. I simply stand there, doing much the same at a slightly greater distance.

"Yeah, use it well!" Lulu seems to have finally gotten over her initial shock, and starts to speak.

"That's the sword you gave Chappu." she says, making Wakka turn to her, a tinge of anger on his face.

"Well, he never used it." he says, face going back to a normal expression. "Where's Yuna?"

"We're taking the same boat as Yuna, right? Why do we gotta wait here?" Tidus asks.

"Yuna came to this village ten years ago, when the last Calm started." Wakka explains.

"The Calm?" Tidus interrupts, a confused expression returning to his face once again. Wakka just continues, ignoring Tidus' query for the moment.

"Since then, she's been like a little sister to me and Lulu. But she had the talent...she became an apprentice. Now, today, she leaves as a summoner."

"This is our journey...we should leave together." Lulu finishes. Turning around, I notice Yuna coming down the stairs of the temple, with several bags dangling from her hands. As she gets closer to us, Lulu yells out to her.

"You really don't need all that luggage." she says, causing Yuna to stop.

"They're not really my things. They're gifts for the temples we're to visit." she explains, causing a small look of disapproval to cross Wakka's features.

"This isn't a vacation, Yuna." he says, as Yuna slowly nods, placing the bags down beside Wakka's hut.

"I guess...I guess you're right." As she walks up to the four of us, I smile, realizing just how much she means to Wakka and Lulu now.

"Okay! Off we go!" Wakka says, turning to leave. The rest of us do the same, except for Yuna, who spares a small glance backward at the temple, and the place she calls home, before turning to follow us.

As we walk along the path leading back to the harbor, I look around, admiring the lush scenery, the clear blue water, the fierce looking Coyote fiends heading for us...

"Wait a minute, Coyotes?!" I exclaim, shaken out of my reverie. Wakka spins, seeing 3 of the Coyote fiends we fought earlier heading right for us. Drawing our weapons, we prepare for a fight. Yuna and Lulu stand back, deciding to let the 3 of us handle them. Tidus starts, seemingly eager to fight once again. Running up to the first, he swings the sword in a cleaving downward arc, only to have the creature dodge and bite him on the arm, causing him to drop the sword. As the fiend jumps back, it's hit in the head with a blitzball, thrown by Wakka.

"Cure!" Yuna waves her staff, and a wave of white and blue sparkles overtake Tidus, healing up the bite he just received.

The other two fiends head straight for me, and I hold my sword tight, waiting for the right moment. As the first jumps for my face, I duck, sending it sailing over my head to land behind me. The second, though, crashes straight into my gut, sending me flying back, with the wind knocked out of me as well. As I try to clear my head from the disorienting tackle, the fiend is suddenly impaled from the side by Tidus' new sword, and bursts into pyreflies. The second, that was behind me, jumps for me again, clawing me in the shoulder before Wakka crushes its ribcage with the blitzball.Yuna casts another Cure spell, and I blink a little as the wave of healing washes over me. It's a strangely warm feeling, but makes you flinch a little when it first hits you. As I saw the gashes heal up before my eyes, however, I decide not to complain and run back to help Wakka and Tidus dispose of the third fiend.

This one proves to be a menace, though. Lunging at Tidus with claws outstretched, it twists its body to avoid Wakka's blitzball, and slashes across. The only thing it hits, though, is the metal of Tidus' sword. Taking advantage of the moment of distraction, I try to decapitate the creature, but it jumps back and tries to snap at my ankles. Jumping up, I kick it in mid air, but having no footing, the kick is relatively weak. The fiend turns back to Wakka, and gets nailed full on in the face by the ball this time, crushing its skull in, causing it to dissipate into pyreflies. As the others regroup and turn to continue, something shiny catches my eye. Two small spheres, both red in color, are lying where one of the wolves was killed. Noticing a small 'P' on one, and 'M' on the other, I pocket them, realizing what they are, and run to catch up with the others.

Continuing down the path, we suddenly hear a screech, and look up, noticing two small seagull things diving down at us from the heavens.

"Divebeaks! Leave them to me and Lu!" Wakka yells, pulling his blitzball out again, as Lulu gets ready to cast a spell.

"Thunder!" Lulu cries, gesturing at the first Divebeak, as a bolt of electrical magic comes down on it, frying it instantly. Wakka takes the initiative then, hurling the ball at the other with all his might. Slamming into the chest of the creature, it falls to the ground, where Tidus quickly decapitates it. Wakka kneels down, picking up something from the body of the creature, before we all move on.

Rounding a bend in the road, we find ourselves back at a familiar spot. To be precise, the cliff that Tidus and I first saw the village from. Lulu and Yuna walk over to the edge, Yuna seeming a bit reluctant to leave her home of ten years. Lulu seems to notice this, and puts her hand on Yuna's shoulder, trying to calm her uneasiness.

"Take your time." she says, and Yuna nods. Giving one last look at her home, she turns and walks back down the incline, towards the rest of us. Tidus, however, seems to be getting slightly impatient.

"Let's get going, man!" he says, turning to Wakka.

"Tidus, chill. Yuna's about to leave her home, and go all over the world. Wouldn't you want to stay as long as you could?" I interrupt, a little annoyed at his childish behavior. Of course, I can't tell him the real reason that Yuna seems hesitant to start her pilgrimage. Yuna doesn't seem to have heard us, as she walks past us, and approaches a stone statue that is a few yards from us. Lulu and Wakka follow her, and I shrug, deciding to go as well. The 3 of them bow down and begin to pray, so I do the same out of respect. Tidus walks over, and queries as to what we're doing.

"What's going on?" he asks, causing Wakka to pause for a moment to explain.

"It's an ancient custom. People leaving the island pray here for a safe trip. Chappu didn't pray that day. Said he'd miss his boat." Tidus seems to understand, and after a moment's hesitance, joins us in prayer.

"That should do it!" Wakka says, standing up after a minute. Turning away the rest of us, he begins to walk down the trail towards the harbor again, quickly followed by Yuna and Lulu. Tidus and myself rush after them, not wanting to be left behind. As we near a group of old ruins, a low growl catches my attention, and I look up just in time to see Kimahri leap down from a high pillar, right in front of Tidus and I. And right now, he doesn't look like he wants to talk. Leaving my sword sheathed, I take up a defensive stance. Kimahri _is _one of Yuna's guardians, after all, and I don't want to unintentionally hurt him. Tidus, however, doesn't seem to care about that, and holds his sword at the ready.

Kimahri makes the first move, whipping the dull end of his polearm around in an arc, hoping to catch me in the side. Ducking, I let the polearm whiz overhead, and Tidus jumps in, slashing downward. Kimahri brings the weapon up to block, however, and twists it, knocking Tidus' sword aside and smacking him in the side of the head as well. Charging in, I throw a right punch, followed by a left high kick. Kimahri dodges the punch, then ducks under the kick, swiping my legs out from under me as he ducks. Slamming my back into the ground, I roll away just as the pole comes down where my neck was. Tidus leaps up, and smashes the flat of the blade into Kimahri's side, earning a grunt from the Ronso for his efforts. Kimahri holds his hand up to his face, before jumping on his polearm like a pogo stick, and bounding into the air.

"_Uh-oh. His overdrive..." _I think, just before he lands in between the two of us, sending us both flying a few feet with the shockwave of the impact. Determined not to lose that easily, I struggle to my feet, and run at Kimahri again, throwing a feinted left hook, before stopping and spinning the opposite way in a roundhouse kick. The kick lands on the left side of Kimahri's head, dazing the Ronso for a minute. Wakka jumps in at this, sensing the need to end the fight before Kimahri decides to go all out on us.

"That's enough!" he yells, causing Tidus to stop moving, as well as Kimahri, who wanders off again. Shaking his head, Tidus speaks up.

"What's with that guy?"

"Kimahri Ronso, of the Ronso tribe. He's learned the fiends' way of fighting." Lulu answers, misinterpreting Tidus' inquiry, on purpose, I believe.

"That's not what I meant!"

"He's another of Yuna's guardians." Wakka replies, causing Tidus to go 'Huh?' yet again. A laugh from Yuna catches my attention, and I turn to see her walk up to Tidus.

"Sometimes we don't understand him much either. Kimahri doesn't talk much anyway. But, he has protected me since I was a child!" she says.

Tidus simply nods, and continues to walk down to the harbor.

As we approach the port, I look up at the ship that we're going to be taking. It's a rather normal ship, about the size of an ocean fishing boat, but without all the nets and such. It almost reminds me of a pirate ship, and I stifle a chuckle. Walking onto the deck, Yuna looks around to the pier, where many people are gathered to see her off. Many of them are smiling and waving, and others are crying. Yuna faces them, and does the prayer gesture several times, as the boat begins to leave the harbor.

As the boat finally pulls away from the pier, Yuna says one word, before turning to walk inside the cabin.

"Goodbye." she says, waving one final time to the crowd, as the ship sails slowly away from her home, and into the first part of her journey as a summoner.

* * *

So, how was this chapter? Good? Bad? I want to know what you think, so as always, please read and review!


	7. Chapter 7: Contact

Chapter 7—Contact

Sitting inside the cabin of the ship, I'm startled out of my moment of silence by shouts of "Hey, give that back!" Sighing, I walk outside, somewhat hesitant to see what chaos Tidus or Wakka has caused now. Looking around the deck, I don't notice anything out of the ordinary at first, but then I notice Tidus, holding what looks to be a pair of binoculars, who is running from another girl. Guess she owned them. Now, Tidus didn't notice me, as he was too engaged in running away. Ever seen the old shows where someone's thinking about doing something mischievious, and they have the little angel on one shoulder, and devil on the other? That's what was happening to me right now.

By the way, the devil won.

Walking over to the mast of the ship, I hide behind it, as Tidus comes running back around the outside of the cabin. As he gets close, I simply step out from behind it, holding my arm out. Tidus notices just a split second too late, and is abruptly caught in the neck by my arm, causing him to go nowhere but straight down. Standing over his now dazed body, I grin.

"Rule number one. Watch where you're running, no matter what you're running _from._" I tell him, laughing the whole time. The girl stalks over, and grabs her binoculars back, before walking inside the cabin.

Mean? Who, me? Nah, never.

As Tidus recovers, he stands up, and starts to walk up to Yuna, who I just noticed was surrounded by a group of people. Several other people were nearby, having a conversation amongst themselves.

"Word is that summoner's got noble blood!"

"I heard she's Lord Braska's daughter!"

"Ya don't say?"

Tidus seems confused for a minute. "Lord Braska's...daughter?" he says, before seeming to start to put the pieces together, walking over to Wakka.

"So, is Yuna's father famous or something?"

Giving a nod, Wakka begins to explain again. "She's the daughter of High Summoner Braska! You saw his statue at the temple. Lord Braska defeated Sin ten years ago. Yuna's the heir to a great legacy!" he says, smiling.

Tidus hung his head for a moment, before speaking softly. "It's tough when your father's famous."

"Huh?" Wakka says, Tidus' signature confused look appearing onWakka's face for once.

"Wakka's...a bit lacking in the imagination department." Lulu cut in, smiling slightly.

"Huh?" Wakka says again, causing me to burst out laughing, and Tidus to smile, from my point of view also trying to stifle a laugh.

"Thanks, Lulu. I'll keep that in mind." he says, before starting to walk up to Yuna, who is standing at the front of the boat, the crowd around her now dissipated.

Stretching, Tidus looks out to sea, as Yuna speaks.

"The wind...it's nice."

Tidus agrees, and looks at Yuna for a moment, before the two of them just start laughing, for no apparent reason. Calming down after a moment, Yuna starts to speak once again.

"You're a blitzball player, aren't you? From Zanarkand, right?" Tidus gives Yuna a slightly weird look, before nodding.

"You hear that from Wakka? Wakka doesn't believe me at all." he says, Yuna looking back out to sea.

"But I believe you."

"Huh?" he says, stunned by Yuna's words.

"I've heard in Zanarkand...there is a great stadium, all lit up, even at night! Great blitzball tournaments are held there, and the stands are always full!" she says, somewhat excited sounding.

Tidus seems shocked. "How do you know that?"

Smiling, Yuna explains calmly. "A man named Jecht told me. He was my father's guardian."

Eyes going wide, Tidus' surprised look turns into one of hate, and he turns around, muttering 'Jecht' under his breath.

'_Uh oh. Touchy subject...' _I think to myself, looking out to sea as well.

Turning back to Yuna, slightly calmer now, Tidus begins to speak again.

"My father...his name is Jecht!"

Gasping in surprise, Yuna quickly does the prayer gesture. "Amazing! You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon!"

"Sounds like him, but it can't be him." Tidus says, turning away from Yuna.

"Why not?"

"My old man, he died. Ten years ago, off the coast of Zanarkand." Tidus explains.

Now it's Yuna's turn to turn away from Tidus, bowing her head slightly in reverence. "I'm sorry." she says, voice low.

"He went out to sea for training one day...and never came back. And no one's seen him since then." Tidus says, his voice as level and calm as the ocean. Yuna's head perks up for a moment, as she seemingly remembers something.

"Why, that's the day that Jecht came to Spira." she says, turning back to Tidus, who just stares. "It's true! I first met Jecht ten years and three months ago! I remember, that was the day my father left. The date fits, doesn't it?"

Tidus seems absolutely befuddled now, fumbling for the words that seem to be unable to leave his lips. Finally, he calms down enough again to speak.

"Yeah, but how would he get here?" he says, to which Yuna smiles.

"You're here, are you not?" she says, and I can't contain my laughter any more.

'_Tidus, you just asked for that, now didn_'_t you.' _I think to myself, laughing all the while, as Tidus and Yuna join in after a moment. Just as we think everything will be fine the rest of the way to Kilika, that hope is shattered by a sharp rumbling, and the boat beginning to shake. Tidus, Yuna, and myself lose our footing, and fall to the deck, the others following suit, as a massive gray fin shoots out of the water, just in front of the ship.

"Sin!" someone cries, as one of the crew members rushes behind what looks like a harpoon gun. Wakka notices this, and yells out to the man.

"What do you think you're doing? Stick a harpoon in him and we'll all get dragged under!" he says, another turning to Yuna as Wakka speaks.

"Sin is going for Kilika! We gotta distract it!"

"Our families are in Kilika! Forgive us, Lady Summoner!" yet another cries, as a second man moves into position behind another of the guns.

"Wait!" Wakka cries, before looking around for something to grab onto. "Oh, boy..."

The harpoons fire, two razor sharp lances of metal blasting towards Sin, lodging themselves into his left fin, gaining a small grunt of pain from the creature. To it, the harpoons are nothing more than a mosquito bite. Still, it turns slightly, dragging the ship with it, and releases a small flurry of scales, which land on the deck of the ship, and immediately unfurl into Sinscales. Suddenly, the boat rocks violently once more, almost sending Yuna over the side as she screams, Tidus holding tightly onto her hand, and holding the mast with the other hand. But looking at the position he's in, I know his grip won't hold much longer. Plus, the Sinscales are moving in on the two of them now.

'_Oh, no! He can't hold on much longer, but what can I do?' _I think, drawing my sword and rushing the Sinscales, knowing I can't hold them off all by myself. Just as I think I made a stupid mistake, a blitzball flies in from out of nowhere, knocking one of the Sinscales into the ocean.

"Hey, we have to protect Yuna! No matter what!" he says, grabbing his ball and preparing for another attack. Nodding, I turn back to the Sinscales, an expression of pure fury etched on my face.

'_You stupid things come in, attack MY friends, try and destroy the ship we're on, and you think I'm going to let you live? Think again...' _I think, suddenly smiling evilly.

"Wakka, stand back! These pieces of crap are MINE!" I say, running towards the Sinscales before Wakka can react. You see, the reason I was smiling, is because I just figured out what my Overdrive was. And I know how to use it, too. I'm very familiar with it.

"Renzokuken!"

Bellowing the word that was Squall Leonhart's Limit Break from FF8, I start to glow slightly for a moment, as time seems to slow down for me, the Sinscales moving as if they were moving through molasses. Running right into the thick of the monsters, I turn and slash one completely in half, before spinning back to the way I was and cutting another open. The next tries to shoot its spines at me, but I duck and impale it, the sword going in all the way to the handguard. Ripping the sword free, I jump back, tensing for the only finishing move I know I would have at this point.

"Rough Divide!"

Dropping the katana, I drag it along the deck, cutting a small line into the wooden surface as the blade starts to glow with a small aura. Reaching the final 3 Sinscales, I suddenly jump, leaping easily 3 times as high as a normal person could while bringing the sword upwards, causing the aura to slice upwards as well, straight through the 3 creatures. As all 6 dissipate into pyreflies, Wakka can't help but stare, and I can't help but fall to the ground. Never realized how much something like that would take out of you, but I can't think about that right now. I have to protect Yuna.

Fortunately, while I was disposing of the Sinscales, Tidus has managed to drag Yuna back onto level surface, and they're now running towards the cabin. Tidus yells something to Yuna that I can't quite make out, and Yuna nods, running inside the cabin, while Tidus runs back towards us. As Tidus nears us, Sin suddenly rips the harpoon devices completely off the deck of the ship, giving the ship one final lurch. That lurch happens to make Tidus lose his balance, and he trips, hitting his head slightly on the rail before falling into the ocean depths below.

"Tidus!" Wakka yells, running over to the side and jumping over. Taking a second to shake the cobwebs out of my head from the Overdrive, I run over and follow him off the edge, the whole while thinking how a Cure spell would come in handy right now. Arriving underwater, the first thing I notice is Wakka, who's frantically searching for Tidus. Cursing the fact that I hadn't done more diving, I try to look around as well, but Wakka finally spots him, floating unmoving in the water a few feet from us. Wakka casts a spell on him, some sort of curative magic, I assume, and Tidus wakes up, almost choking before realizing he was underwater.

All of a sudden, something catches my attention, as I notice something heading towards us out of the corner of my eye. Coming towards us is some sort of mutated squid, a bright blue on the top half, and a more baby blue on the bottom. Four long tentacles are what make it seem like a squid or octopus, while the actual bottom part ends with a set of smaller tentacle like objects, resembling that of a jellyfish.

This, is Sinspawn Echuilles.

"Uh, guys? Problem!" I say, turning to the large creature, the others following suit and preparing for battle.

"Let's give 'em all we got!" Tidus says, and suddenly I feel just a little stronger and tougher, the results of his Cheer ability.

"Dark Attack!" Wakka yells, the blitzball taking on a slightly black aura, before Wakka throws it at the Sinspawn, causing it to howl in pain, a black haze covering its eyes now. Swimming up to it, I slash at the creature, making it roar again, and slap me with one of its tentacles, sending me tumbling end over end through the water. Tidus follows my attack with a nice strike across where the haze is, and a loud roar, even louder than the Dark Attack caused, lets the three of us know instantly that the creature is now blind, permanently.

"Stupid thing! Go for the tentacles!" I yell, beginning to hack at one with my katana. Wakka and Tidus hammer away at it as well, and in a moment it falls off, severed completely. Quickly going to work on the other three, another falls off, and the creature begins flailing about wildly, roaring with every hack of a sword, or blitzball impact. Before long, the other 2 are gone, and Tidus decides it's time to end it. Swimming up to the fiend, he drives the sword right into the midsection, and with a massive grunt of effort, splits the fiend up from the middle to the top of the head, and out through what would've been the skull of any other animal. Giving one final howl of anguish, the fiend sinks for a minute, before bursting apart into a pyrefly cloud.

"Back to the ship! Last thing we need is to swim to Kilika, ya?" Wakka says, making a beeline for the ship. As we breach the surface, we're greeted by Yuna, Kimahri, and Lulu, who throw down some ropes for usto use. Climbing back on the ship, I shake myself off furiously for a moment.

"I hate water." I state simply, before gasping, staring towards Kilika. A massive tidal wave just appears out of nowhere, and moves along for a minute, before disappearing, a massive tornado of debris and trees appearing over Sin's current position. There's no doubt in my mind as to what just happened. Sin just destroyed Kilika.


	8. Chapter 8: Tragedy

Chapter 8—Tragedy

Everyone was silent, as the ship approached the now devastated town of Kilika, destroyed no more than a few minutes ago by Sin. As the ship pulled into one of the few remaining intact piers, I looked around in horror at the scene. For the most part, the whole town was wiped out. Buildings were broken and scattered, only a few left intact. Trees were uprooted, floating in the water and crossing several of the walkways. The most horrifying sight, however, were the numerous bodies that dotted the once tranquil port town. Clenching my fists unconsciously as I departed the ship, I couldn't help but feel pure, unbridled hatred for the monster that had done this.

"This is terrible...so many bodies..." I say silently, surveying the area.

I watch Yuna, Kimahri, and Lulu walk off towards what I guess used to be the main part of town, as Tidus and Wakka meet up with me.

"Come on." Wakka says to us, walking towards the direction of the others. I simply hang my head for a moment, knowing what was to come.

As we arrive at the town square, or what was left of it, I quickly see Yuna and the others talking to some of the residents.

"Greetings. I am the summoner Yuna. I have come from the temple in Besaid." Yuna says, doing the prayer gesture, as the other people seem to smile in relief.

"M'lady summoner!"

"If there is no other summoner here, please allow me to perform the Sending." she says, her face almost expressionless.

"Thanks be to ye!" one says, as another walked up beside them.

"Our loved ones...we feared they would become fiends!"

Yuna smils softly, before looking at the first person who had spoken. "Please, take me to them." As two people lead the way, I watch silently, a small tear falling from my face.

'_Can't believe this. So much destruction, so much death. It's just terrible...' _I think to myself, following slowly. Approaching another part of the square, I notice a small crowd gathered, as Yuna goes over to talk to them. Tidus approaches Lulu, and starts to speak.

"Uh, what's a 'sending'? Are we going somewhere?"he asks.

Lulu simply turns, frowns a moment, and shakes her head. "You truly are clueless. Are you sure it's just your memory that's the problem?" she says, Tidus forming an offended look on his face as Lulu continues. "The dead need guidance. Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate.They learn to live on, and resent those still alive." she says, turning to look out at the water."You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that prey on the living. Sad, isn't it?" she finishes, Tidus nodding slowly. "The sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace."

"Summoners do this?" Tidus asks, to which Lulu nods. Looking around, my attention is turned to Yuna, who has walked to the water's edge, and is staring off across the ocean. She begins to walk out into the water, but instead of in, she starts to walk _over it_. Walking out about 15 feet, she stops, holding the staff out to her right side, the top almost touching the water.

Yuna lowers her head, before beginning the sending. Spinning around with the staff close to the water, she faces us, before bringing the staff over her head, and then lowers it again to repeat the movement. Now facing away from us again, she brings the staff in towards her, with the top pointing to the right, before fanning it out again to the right, and back in. Holding it with both hands, she does a slight jump forward, kicking her leg out and bending down, before arching back and forward, the staff held over her body.Almost touching the water now, she rises back up and spins the staff several times, as something strange begins to happen.

The flames on the nearby torches turn blue and flare up, causing Tidus to snap his head in that direction, completely missing what's happing out on the water. Bright trails of light begin to rise up out of the water, surrounding Yuna and rising up into the air. The water suddenly takes on a life of its own, rising up into a pillar, Yuna now standing on top of a fountain of water as she continues to twirl, the staff rising and falling elegantly as more of the trails of light begin to rise up, ascending into the sky, and on to the Farplane. All around us, people are crying, and unable to control it, I start to cry softly too, the feeling of loss and sorrow all too familiar to me.

As the last of the trails of light start to fly upwards, Yuna jumps lightly around on the fountain for a moment, before grabbing the staff with both hands, and pointing it downward, the fountain beginning to fall slowly. Finally reaching the water's surface again, Yuna wipes a tear from her eye, before walking back towards us. Clearing my own eyes, I turn to Tidus, who continues to watch Yuna, but starts to speak again.

"It must be tough, being a summoner." Lulu nods, the same emotionless expression on her face, seemingly not affected by the sending.

"Yuna chose her own path. She knew from the beginning what it meant. All we can do is protect her along the way. Until the end."

"Until the...end? What's the end?" Tidus now seems a little uncomfortable, as everyone has now turned to stare at him, as if to say 'What's wrong with you?'.

"Until she defeats Sin." Lulu says, walking away as Yuna approaches. Yuna notices, and starts to run, catching up to Lulu as she turns to face her.

"I hope...I hope I did okay." she says, as Lulu puts her arms around her.

"You did very well. They've reached the Farplane by now. But...no tears next time, hm?"

Yuna smiles, as the two of them walk off together. Turning my attention to Wakka, I decide I need to figure out what we're going to do next.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask, Wakka looking up from his position on the ground.

"Hmm. It's starting to get late, so I guess we should all try and do what we can to help out, and then get some sleep for tomorrow." he says, and I nod slowly.

"Okay, I'll see if I can find somewhere we can stay that wasn't destroyed, like an inn or something." I reply, walking away towards the western side of town. As I enter this part of town, I can't help but notice that it's in much better shape than the rest. Probably because it was farther inland, which may have saved it from most of Sin's attack. In any case, it doesn't take long for me to notice a somewhat large building, with a sign saying 'Inn' on top. Walking inside, I look around, but see no one.

"Hello?" I say, waiting for a response of any kind. None comes. "Hmm, guess there's no one here right now." I mumble, walking back out and towards the square. Before I can get there, I'm met by Wakka and Tidus.

"Hey, we just talked with some of the townspeople. They said we can stay in the inn until tomorrow." Wakka says.

"Cool. Where's Yuna and the others?"

"They're coming. They're checking around to see if anything else needs to be done before tonight."

"Okay. What say we get some rest, then?" I ask, and they both nod, walking towards the inn.

* * *

I'm awakened pretty early, not by the rays of sunlight beginning to stream in through a window, but rather by Datto, yelling at Tidus from downstairs.

"Hey, you awake? Cap'n Wakka's waitin' for you!"

Hearing the door slam, I groan, and get out of bed, quickly dressing and heading downstairs. Walking outside, I see Wakka, Tidus, and the Aurochs near a damaged boat, and I quickly walk over to them as the Aurochs huddle up. Yawning slightly, I start to listen in on the conversation.

"On to the temple, where we pray for victory!" The Aurochs walk off, I assume heading to the temple here in Kilika, as Wakka looks at Tidus. "High Summoner Ohalland used to live in the Kikika temple here. Yep, Lord Ohalland was once a great blitzer, you know?"

"Wow, a summoner who also played blitzball. Little unusual, but guess even they need to have fun once in a while." I say, smiling. Tidus looks a little concerned, though.

"Wakka..."

"Hm?" he says, facing the blond haired boy.

"Praying for victory's all good...but is this right?" he asks, a look of worry crossing his face.

"Something wrong with enjoying blitzball?" Wakka replies, confused as to why Tidus seems so upset.

"Is this really the time?" he asks silently.

"This is the only time!" Wakka replies, a little sharply. "The players fight with all their strength, the fans cheer for their favorite team. They forget pain, suffering...only the game matters! That's why blitz has been around for so long. Least that's what I think."

"Well, I see the point there. Taking their minds off of everything helps, doesn't it?" I say, looking at Tidus.

"Whatever you say." he replies, shrugging.

"Let's play...and win! Right?" Wakka asks Tidus, pumping a fist in the air.

"Right!" Tidus replies, doing the same, as Wakka turns around.

"Temple's beyond the jungle there. Let's go!" he says, pointing towards a large wooden gate near the far side of town.

As we approach the gate, the massive structure swings open, reminding me of all sorts of horror movies where the door opens for the victims. Brushing the thought aside, I follow Wakka, who is approaching Yuna and Lulu. Something seems up, as well, as Yuna has her head down a little, and Lulu, well...has the same stoic look on her face as always, so I guess no surprise there.

"What's up?" Wakka asks, noticing the same thing I did. Lulu speaks up before Yuna can get a chance to.

"Yuna's saying she wants you two with us." she says, causing Tidus to take a step back in surprise, while I simply stand there, smiling on the inside.

"Huh?" Tidus says, stunned by the offer.

"I want to ask you to be my guardians." she says, looking at the two of us. Wakka gets a strange look on his face, and walks over to Yuna.

"Yuna! What? This is no time for jokes, ya? Tidus may be a blitzball whiz kid, and Ben may know how to fight, but up against fiends, they're both newbies!" he says, obviously as shocked as the two of us. Yuna hangs her head again.

"Not guardians, then...I just want them nearby." she says, continuing to stare at the ground.

"What do you mean?" Tidus asks, confused by Yuna's statement.

"It's just that, well..." Yuna begins, before Lulu breaks in.

"We're all going to the temple anyway. Can't this wait until later?" Yuna slowly nods, and looks up at Tidus.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." she trails off, as Tidus waves a hand through the air.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm just not really sure what's going on." Tidus says, causing me to groan inwardly as Yuna speaks again.

"My apologies." she says, turning around as Kimahri walks up to us, followed by the two Crusaders from earlier, Luzzu and Gatta, who walk right past us into the jungle.

"Oy, Tidus es muy estupido..." I mutter to myself, beginning to follow the duo into the jungle.

"What was that?" Tidus asks, apparently having heard my mumbling.

"Nothing, nothing at all." I reply, smiling, as the others follow.

Halting a bit further down the path, I notice we've come to a crossroads. Paths to the left, right, and straight in front of us. Although, the path in front of us doesn't look safe, probably because of the large, ugly creature in front of us, a little farther away.

"Company, halt!" Gatta yells, a few feet in front of us, as Luzzu turns to our group.

"The fiend before us is Ochu, Lord of the Wood!" he explains, motioning to the thing. "We've had trouble with this one before. Remember, discretion is the better part of valor."

Looking at one another, we silently decide what to do, but Yuna is the first to voice our general opinion.

"We'll help you." she says, gripping her staff tightly. Nods from the rest of our group seal it, and we start to walk towards the fiend. As we approach, I notice just how massive it is. The top of it is at least 10 feet tall, and the tentacles are enormous, easily 12 feet in length each. The whole creature is a dark red, with a green leaf skirt, it looks like, around its 'waist'. A large mouth sits at the top of the creatures body, with 2 fleshy pieces covering the top, but leaving the bottom open. Four stubby, root-type appendages are in the place of its legs, giving it motion, albeit limited.

"Same strategy we used on Echuilles?" I ask Wakka and Tidus, and they nod. The creature roars, turning to face us upon noticing our arrival, and we all draw our weapons, prepared for a tough fight.

"Let's give it all we've got!" Tidus yells, increasing everyone's strength and defense, as Wakka begins to use his Dark Attack. The ball slams into the creature, blinding it, as Lulu calls out a spell.

"Fire!" she yells, the flaming attack licking away at the creature, making it screech.

Suddenly, the creature starts to shake, and a shower of spores erupt from the top of it's 'head', floating down towards us. I look up, and run backwards, trying to escape the spores' range. Everyone else does the same, but Wakka isn't so lucky, and drops to the ground, coughing violently.

"Esuna!" Yuna cries, the status removing magic curing the poison from Wakka's body, as he stands back up.

"Lets try this out...Haste!" I cry, using the first of my abilities, as time seemingly slows down, similar to my Overdrive, but not giving me any special powers other than enhanced speed and reflexes. Charging the creature, I slash it twice before jumping back, to allow Kimahri to swipe at the creature with his massive poleaxe. The creature jerks, and swipes the both of us away with its tentacles. Now, Kimahri was bigger than me, so he just fell down. I, on the other hand, practically went flying back head over heels.

Yuna has stopped doing anything now, and appears to be concentrating, her staff held perfectly still in front of her. Suddenly, she shouts to the rest of us.

"Everyone, get back!" she yells, as she takes the familiar stance of summoning. I immediately back away, clutching my ribs from the last strike, as everyone gets behind Yuna. The trails of light fly up into the air, and suddenly Valefor descends from the sky, coming to land right beside Yuna, who strokes it for a moment, before it jumps in front of her, giving a mighty roar.

"Sonic Wings!" she yells, causing the aeon to fly up in the air slightly and flap its wings for a moment, before releasing a wave of air which crashes into the fiend, staggering it slightly. Lord Ochu is quick to react, however, and slaps Valefor almost out of the air with a powerful swing. Valefor seems mad, and flies towards the monster, slashing at it with its talons, drawing a greenish blood from the fiend's body.

Valefor simply receives another swat for its efforts, and then Ochu bites the aeon, leaving a gash in the right wing. Valefor growls, and Yuna smiles slightly.

"Energy Ray, Valefor!"

Valefor flies up, and starts to charge a beam of energy in its 'mouth', which turns into a bright yellow ball. Thrusting its head forward slightly, a thin, yellow line of energy shoots out and snakes along the ground and lower section of Ochu's body, seemingly doing nothing. Then, the whole area where the ray hit simply explodes, taking the Ochu fiend with it as it crumples to the ground, dissipating into pyreflies even as it falls. Giving the tired Valefor another pat, she dismisses the aeon, and casts a Cure spell on me and Kimahri, before taking a step forward, staggering a slight bit from the effects of the summoning and casting.

"You okay?" Wakka says, quickly moving to Yuna's side. Yuna smiles slightly, glad for Wakka's concern.

"I'm fine." she says, as Luzzu and Gatta approach again, looks of awe on their faces.

"Whoooa!" Gatta says, impressed with our skills.

"A summoner and her guardians. Very impressive!" Luzzu says, complimenting us as well, earning a smile from Yuna. "Let's get going, Gatta! We need to get back to the command center."

"Coming!" he yells, before turning back to us again. "Thanks for all your help, Lady Yuna. Hope to see you again!" he says, before running off to join his comrade.

"Command center? Wonder what that's all about?" Tidus queries, turning to the rest of our group.

"Don't look at me." Wakka says. "We better get going, we need to get to the temple."

"Ok then, so why are we still standing here? Let's go!" I say, starting to walk off past where Ochu was just defeated, as the rest of the party follows, Wakka shaking his head at my enthusiasm.

* * *

For the people who don't speak Spanish out there, here's the translation.

Tidus es muy estupido... Tidus is very stupid...

Anyway, hope I described the sending well enough, as it's one of my favorite scenes in the game. As always, please review, as I like hearing what people think, good or bad.


	9. Chapter 9: Rivalries

Well, before the chapter starts, I've decided to begin replying to all the reviews that I recieve. So, without further ado, the first set.

Iron-Reaver: No, I was not in the game. D But, I like that you find it so detailed. That's one of the things I strive to get right.

missmanga90: Hmm, interesting thought. I'm not sure about how well I'd do pairing up, but I have done a story (FF8: The Shadow Slayer)that tied in withone of Iron-Reaver's storiesbefore, so possibly.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Thank you very much. I'm glad you like the accuracy. And, it is pretty hard to keep both my character interactive, while at the same time keeping the other's responses to my actions in character as well.

Aalazzerath: Hehe, thanks. I fully intend to write more, it's not like me to leave a story hanging anymore. D

Evil-Kirie: I like that you're enjoying it. I'm going all the way to the end of the game too, so no worries about me ending it.

Now, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 9—Rivalries

"_Wow. This just keeps getting better and better." _I thought to myself as I walked down the jungle path, searching for the Kilika temple. _"Already I've learned Haste, and know a little bit of how to fight in this world. Just, wonder how everyone else is adapting to me..."_

Dismissing my thoughts, I stop and stare a moment, my eyes going wide slightly at the sight before me. A _long _set of stone stairs stood right in front of us, leading up to a platform of some sort, upon which the temple of Kilika rested.

"We gotta walk up _this_?" I moan, silently thanking the gods that I ran a lot to help my legs get stronger.

"These stone steps have a history, you know?" Wakka said, looking at me and Tidus, who looked slightly confused. "Yep, Lord Ohalland trained here at his peak."

Tidus just stares up the stair set, much the same way I had done, before catching a glimpse of the Aurochs stretching. As the Aurochs start to laugh, Tidus smirks.

"A race, huh? Think you can beat me?"

"Count me in too. You guys are going down!" I say, grinning. Wakka, Tidus, two of the Aurochs, and I line up in a row, as Yuna steps forward.

"Yuna, if you would?" Wakka says, turning to the summoner. Yuna nods, and holds her hand up.

"Ready?" she says, before she suddenly takes off up the stairs. Wakka's eyes go wide for a second, and we all take off.

"Hey! Hey!" he yells in protest.

"You cheated, Yuna!" I yell, trying to catch up with her. We all catch up to her after a moment, and the Aurochs, Tidus, and I are all close to each other, as we near the top of the steps. Jumping over the top, one of the Aurochs lands, looks for a moment, then both of them run back down, yelling.

"L-Look out!"

Wakka turns to the rest of the group, who had followed us up the steps after a minute. "Everyone, quick! Sinspawn!" Everyone immediately grabs their weapons, preparing for a fight.

To say this Sinspawn was ugly, would be lying. This...was a ball. A green ball, about the size of a boulder. I turned to the others, looking confused. "So, what do we do?"

"We kill it!" Tidus yells back, charging the ball-looking thing, and slashing it. The attack seemingly doesn't do anything, though, and Tidus looks confused.

"What the?" he yells, looking to me. I just shrug, before replying.

"I guess we can't hurt it with physical attacks. Lulu, your turn!" I yell, but Lulu was already one step ahead of me.

"Blizzard!" she says, a shard of ice flying out and striking the Sinspawn, but not seeming to do any more than the sword had done.

"Try another element!" Wakka yells over, and Lulu nods.

"Fire!" she cries, the fiery blast slapping against the green ball, which causes it to twitch slightly. Suddenly, the thing starts to shake, and split open. The creature unfolded itself, and revealed its true form. It was completely green, from top to bottom, and the bottom half was connected to the bottom of the shell. Two spindly arms branched out into several tentacles, and the head looked vaguely like the head of the Ochu fiend we defeated. Finally, the three top parts of the shell were unfolded out behind it like a set of wings, one in the middle and one to each side. This was the true form of Sinspawn Geneaux.

"Wow. He's uglier in person." I mutter to myself, before charging the creature. The thing seems to smile, despite the lack of a true mouth, before grabbing me with a tentacle, squeezing me so hard I thought I would pop for a moment, then throwing me down. The last thing I see is the ground coming to meet me before I hit and the world goes black.

Waking up, the first thing I notice is the absolute chaos around me. Lulu is casting spells, Yuna is healing Kimahri and Tidus, who are locked in a fierce battle with the creature's tentacles, and Wakka is standing over me.

"What happened?" I ask, still disoriented from the impact.

"You were knocked out. We had to use a Phoenix Down to revive you." At this, my blood ran cold. Did I...die? Or was I just knocked out? In the game, Phoenix Downs revive dead characters, but maybe it works differently here. After hearing that, and taking a moment to think on it, I stand back up, just as a scream from the right catches my attention. Kimahri and Tidus had been knocked away, and the creature had gained just enough time to hit Yuna with its tentacles, before the duo resumed the attack. Unfortunately, Yuna was now lying unconscious on the ground a few yards away from me.

"Yuna!" I cry, running over to her, Wakka right beside me.

"Help the others! I'll revive her!" he says, and I nod before standing up and focusing.

"You're gonna pay for that! Renzokuken!" I cry, activating my Overdrive and running at the Sinspawn. Jumping upwards, I bring the sword straight down, cutting into the creature's head, before pulling it out, and swinging it first left, then back to the right. Finishing it off with two more strikes, one from top left to bottom right, and then top right to bottom left of the creature, I jump back and prepare the finishing move.

"Rough Divide!"

Charging in once more, I jump up, bringing the sword with me, as an aura of energy slams into the creature, making it look skyward from the force of the attack.

It's not down yet, however, and as I run back, Yuna walks back up, healing Tidus and Kimahri quickly, before beginning to summon Valefor.

"Dark Attack!" I hear Wakka yell, and the blitzball goes flying past me, smacking the creature right in the head and blinding it. The creature retaliates, spraying a green liquid out of its 'mouth', which lands on Lulu, poisoning her. I rummage through my pockets, looking for anything to help, before remembering I don't have any money or items. Wakka runs up and hands her a small vial of something, and she downs it, standing back up after a moment.

The sky suddenly brightens, and I realize that Yuna has finished her summoning. Backing up, I watch the aeon land and jump in front of Yuna, preparing to attack. Yuna doesn't even give a command, as Valefor jumps at the Sinspawn, slashing it across the face with its talons. The creature gives a howl of pain, and swings at Valefor, but the aeon dodges.

Flying up, the aeon uses its Sonic Wings attack on Geneaux, before flying back down and raking its talons across it again. The Sinspawn can't take any more, and falls, howling in pain, before bursting into pyreflies. Tidus drops to his knees, and everyone sighs heavily.

"Yeesh!" he exclaims, Wakka turning to him, sheepishly placing a hand on the back of his head.

"Sorry about that! Hoped to break you in a little slower." he says.

"Being a guardian's tiring!"

"Well, technically, we're not guardians, Tidus, but I agree with you." I say, sheathing my sword.

"You two handled yourselves pretty well. You got talent." Wakka says, eyeing the both of us.

"Nah." Tidus replies. Apparently he doesn't take compliments well. "So, what are these 'Sinspawn' anyway?"

Lulu walks over to answer Tidus' question. "Fiends. They fall from Sin's body, and are left behind in its wake."

"Leave 'em alone, and Sin comes back for 'em. You gotta be quick!" Wakka says, adding some more information.

"Aw, crap! More stairs!"

The rest of the group laughs, hearing my annoyed outburst, and starts to walk up the next set of steps. I just shake my head, frowning, and follow them after a moment.

As we finally reach the top of the remaining stairs, and enter the courtyard of the temple, I hear Tidus and Wakka, who are ahead of me, talking.

"So, uh...they got fiends in Zanarkand too?" Wakka asks, and Tidus turns to him.

"Just a few." he replies. "It's a big deal when one shows up, though." Suddenly, something seems to hit Tidus. "Hey! Since when have you believed me about Zanarkand, anyway?" Wakka shrugs, before answering.

"I been thinking. Maybe people Sin gets to don't die. Maybe Sin carries 'em through time. Like a thousand years through time. And then, one day, maybe they just pop back, see?"

I couldn't quite tell whether Wakka was trying to cheer Tidus up, or convince himself that his brother, Chappu, wasn't dead. Lulu, on the other hand, thought the latter apparently, as she walked up to Wakka, shaking her head.

"Amazing. Simply amazing. You make up one theory after another, refusing to believe the simple truth. Sin didn't take Chappu anywhere. Sin crushed him and left him on the Djose shore!" she says, apparently pretty angry at Wakka. "Oh, and one more thing. No matter how much you want it, no one can take Chappu's place. No one can replace Sir Jecht, for that matter. And there's no replacement for Lord Braska, either. It's pointless to think about it, and sad." she says, walking off, Kimahri following her.

I caught a slight wince from Yuna at the mention of her father, but she didn't seem to do anything more than that.

"Lulu, wait a minute." I say, causing her to turn to me.

"What?" she says, still slightly angry.

Smirking, I answered her. "If it's pointless to think about it, and sad as well, then why didn't you just leave Wakka and Tidus alone? You didn't have to enter yourself into it. It wouldn't have made you think about it, now would it?"

Lulu, at this point, now looks stunned and furious at me, all at the same time. Without saying anything, she turns around and walks towards the temple again. It may not have been the best thing to do, but I just can't stand people who act rudely towards others, and then blame their feelings on the actions of said others.

"I...I could never be what Chappu was." Wakka says, standing up from his sitting position. "Well, stuff happens. Best not to worry."

Walking towards the temple, I follow the others, Wakka and Tidus in front of me. Suddenly, as we approach, three men in purple outfits leave the temple doors, and walk towards Wakka, who speaks up before they can say anything.

"You here to pray for victory, too?" he asks, and one of the trio waves his hand dismissively.

"_Just what we need...more people with 'holier-than-thou' attitudes." _I think, as the man replies.

"Us, pray? Who needs to pray? The Luca Goers always win!" Wakka crosses his arms at this.

"Oh, yeah? Then why are you here?" The second man speaks up now.

"We've been praying for some _competition _this year!" he says, as the third speaks.

"So what's your goal this year? You gonna 'do your best' again? Ha! It's too bad your best isn't good enough! Why even bother showing up?" he says, smirking. Tidus steps forward now, a smile on his face, as he clenches his hands into fists.

"This time, we play to win!"

The first man speaks again. "Oooh, play away! Just remember, even kids can play, boys." he says, as the trio walks off.

"See you in the finals!" Wakka yells after them.

"Those guys have forgotten the first rule of sports. Never underestimate an opponent." I say, leaning against the temple wall.

"We'll beat them. We have to!" Tidus says, looking at Wakka. Yuna has been watching us the whole time, and finally turns to Tidus.

"You know that team?"Tidus shakes his head slightly, before replying.

"Putting other people down...they're as bad as my old man!" Yuna seems shocked by this.

"But, Sir Jecht was a kind and gentle man!"

"Well, not my Jecht." Tidus says, following Wakka into the temple.

Kneeling in front of a statue, Wakka begins to pray. "Lord Ohalland, guide our feet." he says, and I kneel down and begin to pray as well, Tidus doing the same as the rest of our group. Suddenly, the door that I assume leads to the Cloister of Trials opens, and a very skimpily dressed woman, and a muscular man with brown hair exit, descending the stairs and approaching Yuna.

"A summoner, are you?"

Yuna nods, and looks her in the face. "My name is Yuna, from the isle of Besaid."

"Dona." she replies, placing her hands on her hips. "So, you're High Summoner Braska's daughter. That's quite a name to live up to." she says, turning to look at us. "My, my, my...and all these people are your guardians? My, what a rabble! As I recall, Lord Braska only had two guardians. Quality over quantity, my dear. Whatever _were _you thinking? I have need of only _one _guardian. Right, Barthello?" she says, turning to the man beside her, who nods. Kimahri, for some reason, steps up to face him.

"I only have as many guardians as I have people I can trust." Yuna says, sounding quite angry. "I trust them all with my life! To have so many guardians is a joy, and an honor! Even more so than being my father's daughter. Of course, I would never think of questioning your ways, either. So, Lady Dona, I ask of you: please leave us in peace."

Dona shrugs, turning to Barthello. "You do what you want. Barthello, we're leaving." As they leave, Yuna sighs, turning towards Tidus, as she smiles.

"_Well, just how many more arrogant people are we going to meet today, I wonder."_

Shaking my head, I follow Yuna and the others through the door into the Cloister of Trials. It's a simple room, with a small circular disc in the middle of the back, apparently an elevator, similar to the one in the Besaid temple.

"The fayth is below. Let's do it!" Wakka says, turning to Lulu and Kimahri.

"The 'fayth'?" Tidus asks, but no one answers.

"But first, the Cloister of Trials. Kimahri? Wakka? Ready?" Lulu says, turning to her fellow guardians. They both nod, and everyone except me steps towards the elevator. As Tidus gets on, Kimahri pushes him back off.

"Hey, what gives?" he asks, confused yet again.

"You're not a guardian yet." Lulu answers.

"We'll be back as soon as we can, okay?" Yuna says, and Tidus looks down as the elevator descends.

"Oh, sure! Soon like 'tomorrow' soon, I bet!" he mutters, and I chuckle at his bitterness. Suddenly, the door opens again, and Dona and Barthello walk back in, as the elevator ascends again.

"Where's Yuna?" Dona asks, and Tidus points to the elevator. "Then why are you here?"

"Hey, I'm not a guardian, so I'm not supposed to go in, right?"

Dona looks surprised for a moment, before smiling. "Not a guardian, you say? I assume neither is this young man over here, then?"

I nod, slowly, suddenly remembering what she's getting at, but she beats me to acting. Barthello picks up Tidus, who struggles vainly against the stronger man's grip.

"Hey! Wait! Ah! Lemme go!" he cries, as Barthello walks over to the platform and dumps Tidus unceremoniously onto it. "Hey, what's the big idea!" he cries, as the platform starts to lower again.

"Just a little game." she says, smiling evilly.

Turning to me, she motions to Barthello, and I drop into a defensive stance. "Oh, no you don't. Not me, you're not!" I say, preparing to defend myself. Barthello tries to grab me, but I duck and kick his legs out from under him, dropping the bigger man to the ground, as I step back, waiting on him to get up.

"Care to try that again?" I say, angry that she has the nerve to do this.

Barthello gets back up, and throws a punch, which I easily dodge. Slamming my fist into his gut, he grunts, having the wind ejected from his lungs, and I spin around, connecting with his jaw in a roundhouse kick, throwing him down again.

"We don't have time to bother with this. Let's go!" she says, leaving the room again, Barthello following a moment after, still regaining his senses.

"Bigger they are, the harder they fall." I mutter, still annoyed at her attitude. "Great, now I have to wait on them." Realizing there's nothing I can do, because I'm not a guardian, I sit down on the floor, and begin to wait for the rest of the group.

* * *

As you can probably tell, no, I do not like Dona and Barthello too much. But, I'm not going to senselessly bash them or anything. As always, review please! I'm eager to see just how many people are reading this! 


	10. Chapter 10: Choices

Well, another chapter finally done, so without further ado, on to the replies!

Iron-Reaver: Nope, didn't go with em...yet. Barthello's safe. D Anyway, you get to see my new outfit at the end of this chapter, so read on!

missmanga90: Thanks for the words of encouragement! I don't know about having them join in, because it wouldn't quite make sense, but possibly in the sequel. Who knows?

Aalazzerath:You're reading the update now.D

* * *

Chapter 10—Choices

About 30 minutes has passed since Tidus was heaved onto the elevator, and I'm getting bored. _Really bored._ So bored, I'm about to punch the wall for fun.

"There has got to be something I can do." I say to myself, eyes moving from the elevator to the doorway. Shaking my head, I look back at the elevator. "I know I'm going to regret this, but what the heck." Walking over to the elevator, I step onto it, and descend into the Cloister of Trials.

Reaching the bottom, I look around, hoping to find any sign of Tidus or the others. Nothing immediately enters my sight, and I walk into the next chamber, looking around there. Still nothing. So, I enter the next chamber, and the first thing I notice is that it has a pit of some sort in the middle. The next thing I notice, is that a hole seems to have been blasted into one side of the pit. Looking around a moment, I notice stairs on the left side, so I walk over to them, and go down into the pit. As I look at the hole, the first thing I see is...

"Tidus!"

Turning around at his name being yelled, Tidus' eyes almost bulge out of his head.

"He threw you down here too?!" he says, and I shake my head.

"No, I kicked his tail when he tried. I got bored and came down here after you." If a face fault could be done outside of anime television shows, I'm pretty sure I would have just seen one, judging from the expression on Tidus' face.

"You did what?" he asks, shocked.

"Just what I said. Come on, let's go find Wakka and the others." I reply, walking up the other set of stairs leading out of the pit.

"You are crazy." Tidus simply says. Turning around, I smirk.

"I know. That's why I'm so much fun to be around." I say, walking up to the closed door, Tidus following me a moment after. "So, any clue how to open this?"

Tidus shakes his head. "I haven't quite figured that part out yet." Sighing, I turn back towards the door, examine it a moment, and then remove the sphere sitting in a niche beside it. The door opens a second later.

"You mean to tell me, it was _that _easy?" Tidus says, awed.

"Yup. Come on." I reply, walking into the doorway.

Entering the room, I notice Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri, standing in front of a door. Apparently, it's the Chamber of the Fayth. A song can be heard, too. It's a sweet melody, and appears to be Latin words.

"_The Hymn of the Fayth..."_ I think to myself, as the three guardians turn, surprised to see the two of us here.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Wakka exclaims, and Tidus holds up both hands.

"It was Dona and that big musclehead man!" he says, trying to defend himself.

"Yeah. He picked Tidus up, and threw him on the elevator. I came down to get him." I say, looking over the three nervously.

"_Knew this was a bad idea..."_

"Yuna will be the one to suffer the consequences!" Lulu says sharply. Tidus looks at her, oblivious.

"What consequences?"

"She could be excommunicated!" Wakka says, which causes Tidus to hang his head for a moment. "Just wait." he tells the two of us, and continues to watch the doorway.

"So, what's in there, anyway?" Tidus asks Wakka.

"The fayth, remember?" he says, without taking his eyes off the door.

"Oh yeah, that thing. Right."

"The fayth are people who gave their lives to battle Sin. Yevon took their souls, willingly given from their still-living bodies." Lulu explains.

"Huh?" Apparently, Tidus still doesn't understand.

"Now they live forever, trapped in statues. But when a summoner beckons, the souls of the fayth emerge once again. That's what we call an aeon."

"Creepy..." I mutter to myself, a look of something similar to horror appearing on Tidus' face.

"All that in this room? S-So what's Yuna doing in there?" he asks, slightly frightened.

"She prays with all her heart for a way to defeat Sin." Wakka replies. Suddenly, the door opens, and Yuna walks out, falling to her knees as soon as she gets to the doorway. Wakka and Lulu rush to her side, and help her up. After Yuna rests a moment, reassuring us she'll be fine the whole time, we exit the Chamber of the Fayth, and head back out to the temple's entrance.

As we get there, Yuna is surrounded by a small group of people, who offer caring smiles and nods. Tidus walks outside, and stops for a moment, apparently thinking about something. I walk over to him, deciding to try and help him.

"What's wrong?" I ask, causing him to turn to me.

"I...It's nothing." he says, turning back around quickly.

"Alright. If you say so." I say, walking back towards the others, as Yuna now walks up to Tidus.

"Are...are you okay?" she inquires, as Tidus simply stares off into space.

"I...I don't know." he replies, looking down.

"What do you want to do?" Yuna asks, and I quirk my eyebrow slightly at this odd question.

Tidus looks up again, and looks over at Yuna. "To scream real loud." he says, causing Yuna to giggle. Suddenly, Tidus does, in fact, scream real loud, causing everyone to turn around and look, and me to erupt in a fit of laughter.

Wakka shakes his head, before walking over to Tidus. "Come on, we gotta get back to the port. The boat's leaving for Luca soon." he says, starting to walk back to Kilika. Calming myself down, I start to follow him back, Yuna, Tidus, and the others walking along with me.

After about 30 minutes, we finally make it back to Kilika, and we start to walk back to the port, looking for the boat that's supposed to take us on to Luca. Wakka is the first to find it, and waves us over.

"Off to Luca at last! The matches start as soon as we get there, so rest up on the way, ya?" he instructs, walking up the ramp onto the boat. Looking at it a moment, I notice for the first time that there's a name on the side.

"The S.S. Winno? Where'd that come from, I wonder." I say softly, climbing aboard as well, the others right behind me. Several minutes after we board, the boat gives a short jerk, and begins to depart towards Luca.

* * *

Walking out of the cabin, I stretch, having caught a slight bit of rest. I usually don't sleep during the day, but I decided to make an exception this time, after all the activity I just went through. 

"Well, what do you know. It's nighttime. And I just got some rest!" I say to no one in particular, slightly annoyed by my misfortune. Looking at the boat more closely, now that I'm alert, I notice it has 3 different decks. Upper, middle, and lower. We're all on the middle deck, except for the Aurochs, who are on the deck below, talking amongst themselves. Yuna, Kimahri, 2 of the Goers, and another person are farther away from me, talking. Lulu and Wakka just walked to the upper deck, which leaves me and Tidus here, alone with Yuna and the rest. Yuna giggles at something, which causes Tidus to stand up, and walk over to them. Apparently, he's just as curious as I am.

"May as well go over there myself, then." I mutter, following Tidus.

"What are you all talking about?" he asks, one of the Goers turning to face him.

"Who are you supposed to be?" he asks, a slightly haughty tone to his voice, as the other member turns to him.

"Ah, I remember him. Guy from Kilika." he says, as I think hard, trying to remember their names.

"Bickson and Graav, isn't it?" I ask, hoping I got it right. They both nod, before Graav turns back to Bickson.

"You know, one of the Besaid Aurochs. Said somethin' about winning the cup."

Bickson seems to finally clue in, turning to Tidus. "Oh, right. You're that idiot."

"Don't call him that!" Yuna protests, causing Bickson to turn to her.

"But he is an idiot. They don't got what it takes to win the cup." he says.

"Well, they do now that I'm here!" he exclaims, standing up straight. Yuna seems to agree, cutting in.

"Yes, they will win! He used to be the star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" she says, causing Graav to laugh.

"Yeah, as if anyone lived in those ruins." he says, Bickson snickering softly as well. Yuna appears to be pretty mad now, and I back away slightly. Not that I'm scared or anything, it's just...yeah, I'm scared.

"It's not ruins, there's a big city there! There is!" she says, everyone staring at her as Tidus interjects.

"I got to close to Sin and..."

"There is a city, really!" she says, cutting him off.

"_Somehow I get the idea that she can be scarier than Lulu when she's angry..." _I think to myself, as Yuna turns her back to the two Goers.

"Right. Whatever your Ladyship says." Bickson remarks, as the two walk away.

"What's wrong?" Tidus asks Yuna. "You seemed pretty mad back there."

"They were being rude and...I do believe your Zanarkand exists. I really do, you know!" she says, facing Tidus.

"How come?"

"Sir Jecht used to always tell me stories. It'd be great to see your home someday. I'd love to go there." she says, smiling.

"Yeah." Tidus agrees, sounding slightly homesick.

"Yuna, you said Sir Jecht used to tell you stories of Zanarkand." I say to her, causing her to face me. "That was 10 years ago. How old were you then?"

"I was seven when my father defeated Sin." she replies, causing me to smile.

"Really? That would make you...seventeen now? Heh, you're my age, know that?" I tell her, grinning.

"Really? I had no idea." she says, smiling back at me.

Suddenly, I heard something that sounded like a commotion, coming from the deck above. Deciding to check it out, I turn to tell Tidus to come with me, only to find that he's already gone. Turning around, I notice him standing about halfway up the stairs to the upper deck.

"He must be eavesdropping on them..." I mutter, causing Yuna to look at me again.

"What did you say?"

"Ah, nothing." I reply, shaking my head. "I'll be back in a moment. I thought I heard something upstairs."

Yuna nods, and I turn, walking over to Tidus, in order to listen in as well. Knowing this conversation, this may not go too well.

"Well? Say something. You'll take responsibility?" Lulu says, causing Wakka to hold up his hands.

"Relax! He's bound to know someone in Luca." he replies. Lulu crosses her arms.

"And if not?"

Wakka shrugs, turning away from Lulu. "He could always join a blitz team. Anyhow, it's better than just leaving him in Besaid."

"What, just leaving him in Luca?" Lulu retorts. Turning back to Lulu, Wakka continues.

"What do you want me to do?" he says indignantly.

"Yuna wants to make him a guardian."

"Oh yeah, geez...there's that too, eh?" he says, staring at the ground.

"And whose fault is that?" Lulu says, looking at Wakka accusingly. Wakka just stares back at her.

"Not mine!" The deck falls silent for a few moments, and I catch a glimpse of Tidus' face. It looks like a stony mask, showing no emotion at all.

"It is mine, huh? Why do you think she wants to make him a guardian, anyway?" Wakka continues.

"Because he's Sir Jecht's son." she replies.

"Oh, right." Wakka says, suddenly doing a double-take. "Wait, you sure 'bout that? He's really Sir Jecht's son?"

Lulu nods. "It's hard to say, but Yuna seems to believe so."

"Okay."

"'Okay?' 'Okay?' That's all you have to say?" Lulu says, apparently expecting more of an answer from the orange-haired blitzballer.

"Well, yeah, I mean...He's gotta decide for himself, ya? Well, him and Yuna, I guess." Wakka replies, shrugging.

"And what about Ben?" Lulu says, recapturing my attention. I was just about to leave, until she said that.

"Well, I don't really know. Guess that's up for him and Yuna to decide, too." Wakka says.

"You're right, for once." Lulu says, causing me to stand up. I've heard enough.

"_Now, to think about my current problem. I need money. I need to get another outfit, or something, as well as items, and maybe a new weapon. But I don't know where to get any."_ I think to myself, walking back to the cabin. Walking into the cabin, I flop down on the bed, but instead of being met with only the soft material of the mattress, something else makes contact with my back. I sit up in surprise, and turn around to look. My eyes come face to face with a small pile of money, lying on my bed.

"What the? How'd this get here?!" I exclaim in surprise, starting to count the bills. One thousand, two thousand...there's five thousand Gil here!

"I thought you may need some help." the fayth replies, appearing beside me, also scaring the daylights out of me as he does so. Surprised, I can't do anything for a moment, until I finally find the coherence to say something again.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it, you know?" The fayth nods, smiling.

"I know." he says, disappearing again.

"Well, that takes care of my money problem. Now, guess I better get some sleep. It's pretty late, I think." I say to myself, falling back onto the bed again.

* * *

"Wake up, sleepyhead! We're almost at Luca, ya?" Wakka yells, rousing me from my sleep. 

Groaning, I stand up, rubbing my eyes. Can't believe it's morning already. Walking out the door, I cover my eyes from the bright sun for a moment, waiting for them to adjust. As they do, I look out over the ocean in front of us, and gasp. Luca is enormous. The first thing I see is what I recognize as the blitzball stadium. It's almost as big as the one in Zanarkand. Buildings are scattered around it, and a large port lies just in front of us. The city is absolutely massive, reminding me of the capital of my own home state.

"_Although, I bet, not nearly as confusing." _I think, chuckling a bit.

As the boat pulls into the port, I start to get a bit nervous, noticing the large amount of people here watching. The voice of an announcer can also be heard, coming from speakers mounted on the walls of the stadium, which is barely a few hundred yards from the port.

"Ah, over there! The ships carrying the players are arriving now! This would be dock number 2." he says, as I make a mental note of the number.

"All the way from Kilika, it's the Kilika Beasts! High Summoner Ohalland used to play for them—a big name to live up to. Their hometown was recently attacked by Sin. Isn't that right, Jimma?"

"Yes, Bobba. They're going to be pulling out all the stops to try and bring back the cup this year."

"Exciting, isn't it folks! Our next team off the ramp is..." Bobba says, pausing a minute as all eyes go to the now exiting Aurochs. "Well, well, well! If it isn't the Besaid Aurochs! They're a living, breathing, statistical impossibility! I've never seen a team this bad! That's right! In twenty-three years they've never made it past the first round! Only a few die-hard fans are in the audience today."

"Best of luck to them, and a safe journey back to Besaid." Jimma says, as I start chuckling again.

"Fair and impartial media? What's that mean?" I mutter, mocking the announcers.

"Moving right along, our next team is...here they are, folks! Our very own Luca Goers! They've got power! They've got speed! They've got teamwork! They're an all around first-class team! And they're back home in Luca!" Bobba says, as the Goers walk down the ramp from their boat, waving to the crowd.

"Without a doubt, they are the favorite this year, Bobba. And after the way they dominated last year, it'd take a miracle for them to lose today."

"You can say that again, Jimma. Look at the crowd, folks! Look at the crowd! Looks like all of Luca has turned out to cheer the Goers on! They know, I know, and you know, folks! The Luca Goers are number one!" Bobba says, earning an annoyed look from Tidus. Wakka places a hand on his shoulder.

"It's like this every year, ya? Don't let it bother you." he says, and Tidus simply shrugs his hand off, walks over to a box, and climbs onto it, a megaphone in hand that he picked up from beside it.

"Stop right there, Goers!" he says, causing the whole team to stop and stare at him, his voice amplified around the dock by the device. "You guys are smilin' now, but not for long! Cause this year, us Aurochs are taking the cup!" he says, dropping the megaphone and beginning to laugh. Tidus gets down after a moment, and is immediately subjected to Wakka yelling at him.

"What in Yevon's name were you doing up there?"

"We sure stood out, though!" Datto exclaims.

"We were on the sphere!" Letty says, pointing upwards.

"We were?" Datto says, looking around. Suddenly, 3 people run right by us, looking very excited about something.

"Maester Mika is here!"

"Already?"

"The number 3 dock!"

Tidus looks pretty confused again, and turns to Yuna. "What's up now?"

"Maester Mika has arrived, that's what!" she says, clasping her hands excitedly.

"Mika? Maester?" Tidus still doesn't seem to get it.

"Maester Mika is the leader of all the peoples of Spira." Lulu explains. "He's come all the way from Bevelle. The tournament is being held to celebrate his fifty years as maester."

"Fifty years? Shouldn't he be, uh, retired by now?" Tidus asks, Wakka shaking his fist at him.

"Hey! Mind your mouth, now." he says, as Yuna walks up to the two of them.

"Let's all go see him!" she suggests, and everyone nods, turning to walk towards the deck where Maester Mika is at.

"_Well, Maester Mika has shown up at last...wait a minute. That means that...oh no. He's here too!" _I think to myself, my eyes going wide for a moment, before my face turns into an angry expression.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Tidus asks, noticing the look on my face.

"Nothing." I reply, my face going back to its normal, apathetic look.

As we arrive at the dock, the first thing I notice is that this place is packed. Well over 50 people are standing around, hoping to see the maester. Tidus is hopping around, trying to find a viewpoint.

"Can't see a thing!" he complains, and Wakka puts a finger over his mouth.

"Shhh!" he says, as loud, joyful music begins to play. Finally, someone begins to walk down the ramp, and the sight of who it is makes my skin crawl.

"Maester Seymour." I say softly, contempt filling my voice. Seymour walks down the ramp slowly, bending down at the bottom and performing the prayer gesture. Everyone in the crowd, except for Tidus and myself, does it as well. The next off the boat, is none other than Maester Mika himself. Descending the ramp, he stops in front of Seymour, and begins to speak, everyone quieting down almost immediately.

"People of Spira, I thank you for your generous welcome. Rise, Maester Seymour. And all of you as well. I present to you...the son of Maester Jyscal Guado, who departed for the Farplane a fortnight past. As some of you already know, he has been officially ordained a maester of Yevon." Maester Mika says, as Seymour steps forward now.

"I am Seymour Guado. I am honored to receive the title of maester. In life, my father Jyscal worked to foster friendship between man and Guado. I vow to carry on his legacy, and to fulfill my duties as maester to the best of my abilities." he says, causing me to roll my eyes.

"_Same old political bullshit..." _I think, as Wakka nudges Tidus in the ribs.

"You, too! Bow your head!" he says, Tidus following his head, as well as myself a moment later, reluctantly. As Mika and his group leave, I turn to leave myself.

"Where are you going?" Wakka asks, and I turn back to him.

"Shopping. I need another outfit, and some supplies." I reply, turning back to the city.

"Alright, we'll be at the stadium before long. Just go there when you're done." he says.

Walking into Luca, I take the chance to look around some. Now it really reminds me of my home state. The buildings are all clustered together, and it takes me a minute to find what I'm looking for. Finally finding it, I walk inside.

"Can I help you?" a lady asks, apparently the storekeeper. Shaking my head, I turn to look at her.

"Not right now. I'm just browsing." I say, looking around for the men's clothes. Giving a short nod, the lady walks away. Spying the clothes on the right side of the store, I walk over, looking around for what I want.

"Hope they have it..." I mutter, looking over a rack of shirts, before smiling and pulling one out.

After a few minutes, I've found exactly what I'm looking for, and walk to the counter. Looking over my purchases a moment, she scans each one, reaching for a bag as she does so.

"That'll be 2100 Gil, please." she says, and I pull the money out of my pocket, counting out the amount and handing it to her.

"Thanks." I say, leaving the store. Looking around again, I quickly find a restaurant of some sort, and walk inside, heading for the bathroom to change.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." I say, looking over myself in the mirror. Instead of the black and white outfit I was wearing when I came here, I'm now dressed in a silver, short-sleeve T-shirt, and a pair of red shorts, much like a pair of gym shorts. The tennis shoes I was wearing have been replaced by a pair of soft, silver slippers, resembling a pair of beach shoes, but designed for protecting the feet when kicking. My hands are also covered in a silver pair of fighting gloves. The top part of them, from the wrist to the start of the fingers, are the same red color as my shorts, and the rest is silver. They stop at my first knuckle, giving me more freedom than ordinary gloves. Also, a small backpack is slung over my right shoulder, carrying my other set of clothes.

"Certainly more comfortable. Easier to move in, too." I say to myself, throwing a few punches and kicks to test my movement. "Guess I better get back to the stadium." I decide, shouldering the pack better, before walking out the door, and back to the blitzball stadium.

* * *

So, how was it? Please review! I want to know who's reading, it's a little disheartening to write when you only know that a couple people are taking the time to leave their thoughts!


	11. Chapter 11: Scheming

Another chapter done with, so, on to the reviews!

Iron-Reaver: Yes, slippers. I couldn't think of a better description, so sue me. Oh, and I'll get my defensive item soon enough. Don't worry.

discord2chaos: Thanks for the compliment. And yes, Ben will get a more active role in the story. As a matter of fact, that is somewhat set into motion by the event at the end of this chapter. Read on to find out. Also, it's going to be a little bit of both. More of a novelization, but some key things will be changed by Ben's presence. Just wait.

Radszilla: Glad you like the outfit's description. I had to stop and think about it for a while, and juggle around several ideas, until that one just seemed to stand out.

Andinel: Really? Wow. Didn't think a story I write could make you want to play the game over. And thanks for the compliment as well. I'm trying hard to keep the storyline coherent, but at the same time add new things, and change some. That really hasn't happened much, though. Yet.

* * *

Chapter 11—Scheming 

As I enter the stadium, back from my shopping trip, I'm met by the grinning faces of Wakka and Tidus, who seem unusually happy about something.

"What's got you two so happy?" I ask.

"We're playin' the Al Bhed Psyches first! If we win, we're in the finals!" he says, grinning from ear to ear, and I realize why now. "That's right, we got seeded! Two wins, and we're the champs!"

"Well, I know nothing about blitzball, so I guess I'll just say good luck and leave it at that." I say, walking into the locker room with the rest of the team. Just then, Yuna and Lulu walk in, the former looking very excited about something.

"There you are! Someone said they saw Sir Auron in a café!" Yuna exclaims, smiling.

"Au-Auron?" Tidus stammers, standing up.

"Yes, Sir Auron! Let's go find him!" she says, turning to leave, Tidus and myself following.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! The game starts like real soon! C-Come back quick, ya?" Wakka says, apparently confused as whether to hurry us along, or protest completely.

"Hey, I'll be back." Tidus says, waving at Wakka.

"Yeah, okay." he mutters.

"Hey, Wakka. You're stiff, man. No, no, not your face. Just breathe out, relax. Like this. Just breathe, yeah!" he says, running out, Yuna giggling at Tidus the whole way out. Lulu just shakes her head, as do I, before we walk out behind them.

"Maybe now we can find Sir Jecht!" Yuna says, once we're outside. Tidus gives her a skeptical look.

"Huh? How?"

"Sir Auron was also my father's guardian. So, he might know where Sir Jecht is. Lets go now!" Yuna says, running off. I sprint off after her, wanting to stay close if what I remember is true. Kimahri runs off after us after a moment, followed by Tidus.

As we hit the outside of the stadium, I notice two of the Al Bhed Psyches standing outside. When Yuna passes, they say something to each other, and run off.

"Oh, no you don't." I say to myself, walking after Yuna. Finally reaching the front gates, Yuna finds herself surrounded by a group of people. Apparently, they know she's Braska's daughter. Giggling, she looks at the group.

"I'm sorry, please let me through." she says, motioning to Tidus as the group dissipates some. "Hey, let's go."

"You're really famous." he says, earning another giggle from Yuna.

'_Way to state the obvious there, Tidus._' I think, shaking my head. "Guess it comes with being the daughter of a High Summoner, huh, Yuna?" I say, smiling at her.

"I hope we don't get separated." she says, looking around as we leave the stadium area. Suddenly, a sharp whistle breaks the silence. The cause, you guessed it, Tidus.

"Yuna!" he says, causing her to turn to him.

"What was that?" she asks.

"In Zanarkand, we do this to cheer on blitz players." he says, whistling again. "You try it, too. Put your fingers in your mouth like this."

Yuna tries to place her fingers in the position, looking back at Tidus. "Like...this?" Tidus shakes his head.

"Uh-uh, not like that, like this." he says, showing her again. "Then, you just blow."

Yuna places her fingers in her mouth correctly this time, and blows twice. It doesn't make any other sound than moving air, though.

"It's not working." she says, a slight look of frustration crossing her face.

"Practice!" Tidus says, smiling.

"Okay." she says, returning the smile.

"Hey, use that if we get separated. Then I'll come running, okay?" he says, causing Yuna to nod. "Well, guess we should stick together, then, till you can do it?" he suggests, and Yuna and I both nod, turning to walk down the street. Tidus seems intrigued by the grandeur of the city, much as I first was.

"Whoa! This is a pretty big town!" he exclaims, causing Yuna to turn to him.

"Luca is the second largest city in Spira." she explains, causing me to quirk an eyebrow.

"Would the largest be Bevelle, by any chance?" I ask her, to which she nods.

"Yes. That is where the Maesters reside."

"I thought every town was little—you know, like Besaid and Kilika." Tidus asks, Yuna shaking her head 'no' in response.

"Towns don't usually get bigger than that. Because when a lot of people start to gather..." Her voice trailed off, and Tidus connected the dots.

"Sin...?" Yuna nods. "What about Luca? It's safe here?"

"It's not any different, but the stadium is here. The Crusaders fight to protect it with all their strength." Tidus gives Yuna a look that's a mixture of shock and confusion, before speaking again.

"They protect the stadium?" he asks, and Yuna nods, giving a slightly lopsided smile.

"Blitzball's really the only entertainment that we have. Spira's a little short on fun these days."

Chuckling, I listen to the conversation with mild interest. It's a lot funnier to see Tidus' confused reactions first-hand, rather than just watching from an outside view.

"Whoa! Talk about pressure!" he exclaims, as we turn the corner onto another street.

"That's right! Is Zanarkand like this, too?" Yuna asks.

"Well, there are more buildings. All tall ones and cramped together." he replies.

"They must be so tall!" Yuna says, before looking confused for a moment. "Don't you ever get dizzy?"

Tidus and I both laugh at the question, before Yuna looks up, noticing the café ahead of us. "Let's go find Sir Auron!" she says, walking forward, the both of us trailing behind. Walking in the front door, I look around for a moment. Looks like a normal café, with spheres instead of televisions. That's really the only difference I notice. Oh, and the 2 Ronso over at the counter.

'_Biran and Yenke. Oh boy.'_

"Auron's not here." Tidus says, breaking into my thoughts yet again. I watch Biran and Yenke approach Kimahri, as Yuna walks over to talk to a small group of people.

"Why not talk, Kimahri? Not see Yenke for ten years! Say something!" Yenke says, smirking at Kimahri, if you could call it a smirk. I'm not sure. "Kimahri forget Yenke? Forget Biran?"

"Leave Kimahri, Yenke. Kimahri is small Ronso. Kimahri so small can't see Yenke and Biran's faces." Biran says, taunting the smaller Kimahri.

"Kimahri forget Ronso friends? We taught you much at time of horn-molt! Biran taught Kimahri to be strong Ronso." Yenke says, causing Biran to step up and examine Kimahri, who remained on guard.

"Maybe taught too much." Biran says, pushing Kimahri slightly.

"Take em on!" Tidus says, clenching a fist. Just then, I hear something strange. Almost sounds like something being...muffled.

'_Wait a minute...Yuna!' _I think abruptly, glancing around to catch a small glimpse of her skirt disappear out a side door. Dashing for the door, I get to it just in time to see it shut, almost ramming my face into it in the process. I can hear Kimahri hit Yenke as I yank open the door and dash out, but I could care less about that right now. Running down an alley, I turn the corner leading out of it, just in time to be met with the faces of 3 Al Bhed, and they don't look like they want to talk.

"Alright boys, you want to kidnap the summoner I'm protecting? Come on!" I say, charging the nearest one. Ducking under his telegraphed punch, I smack him in the face, sending him stumbling back, just as I duck and sweep the legs out from under the second. The third gets a kick in, knocking the wind out of me a moment, but I turn my momentum into a roll, and spring back to my feet, just barely avoiding a punch from him. I smash my elbow into the side of his head, knocking him out cold, and deliver a spinning heel kick to the side of the first's head. As the second gets up, I run at him and soccer kick him in the chest, knocking him back down, before sprinting off in the direction they came from.

"Gotta make it to the docks..." I say to myself, running as fast as I can. Fortunately, it's not that far, maybe half a mile. As I reach the docks, I'm met by 4 more Al Bhed. Luckily for me, they're not wielding any weapons.

"You guys are starting to make me mad." I state, rushing this group as well, but not throwing a punch. Instead, I simply clothesline the two nearest to me, but leave myself open to a duo of punches from the two standing Al Bhed. Wincing, I spin and smack one in the face with the back of my right fist, but get kicked in the back by the other. Landing on the ground, I grimace, the dirt and rocks cutting into my skin. Standing back up, I turn to the now three Al Bhed, the two I first hit having gotten up, and run up to meet them as they charge me. Using my anger to my advantage, I unleash a roundhouse kick at the trio, hitting all three in one move, knocking them all down. While they're disoriented, I run onto the ship that Yuna was at in the game.

Unfortunately, I forgot one detail. Another machina. The Oblitzerator, to be precise. And the first thing it does upon seeing me, is move towards me and shoot a blitzball. Now, a normal blitzball throw wouldn't hurt too much, as a normal person can't throw that hard. But, when you have something the size of a soccer ball shot at you with a lot more force than any person, it's going to hurt. So, I'm sent to the ground, the wind completely knocked out of me, almost to the point of seeing stars. Realizing quickly I have no hope of beating this thing alone, after a moment of lying still to regain my bearings, I stand up slowly and run off, albeit a lot slower than I ran in.

"Ouch. I...don't think I'll try that...again anytime soon..." I mutter, trying to find Tidus and the others. Luckily for me, they seem to have heard the news too, and I see them running towards me about a couple hundred yards from the dock.

"Ben! You okay?" I hear Tidus yell, and I shake my head.

"What...do you think?" I tell him, turning to the three of them. "Anyone got a potion?" Lulu nods, and pulls out one of the magical items, handing it to me. Quickly drinking it, I feel the cuts and bruises heal up some, and regain a little of my strength.

"Alright, let's go." she says, running ahead of us.

Reaching the boat for the second time, I turn to the group. "Ok, get ready. Lulu, get ready to use Thunder spells." She looks confused for a moment, but as a blitzball goes flying past us, her eyes widen, and she nods. Casting a Thunder spell on it, the machina shudders a moment, before hitting Tidus with a blitzball now, sending him to the ground much like me. Kimahri charges the machina, and I draw my sword, rushing in as well. His halberd doesn't do much, and neither does my katana. Backing up, I make my decision quickly.

"You guys think you can handle this thing?" I ask them, and they nod. "Good, I'm going after Yuna. Lulu, a tip. Use Thunder spells on the crane over there. Don't worry, trust me." I tell her, before running towards the thing again, this time with a plan.

"Payback time! Renzokuken!" I yell, having gotten angry enough to use my Overdrive. Slashing several times at the thing, I'm rewarded with the comforting sounds of metal being sheared off, and I jump back for the finishing move.

"Rough Divide!" Charging in again, I jump upwards with my katana outstretched, but I put forward momentum in as well this time. The result, is a nice, jagged line, straight up the front of the machina, and myself landing behind it, directly in front of the door leading to the ship's interior. As I enter the door, I spare one glance back, and see Tidus and Kimahri following my lead, as Lulu casts Thunder on the crane, trying to power it up.

The ship's interior doesn't look all that complex. I find myself in a room of some sort, tables all around me. Apparently, the dining area. Two doors are in the back, one each on the left and right.

"Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo!" I say, picking the right door. Opening it, I run in, and find myself face to face with an Al Bhed.

"Wrong door." I say, kicking him in the chest before he can react, and then uppercutting him, sending him to the ground. Jumping over him, I dash down the hall. I hear a noise to my right, and open a door, only to see an Al Bhed stumbling backwards, right out the now-open door. I'm bowled over by the falling body, and crash against the opposite wall.

"Sorry!" I hear Yuna yell, and I shake my head.

"Well, guess I'm not the only staff fighter around here." I say, smiling. Standing up, I walk in the room, just in time to see Yuna turn around and smash the bottom part of her staff into another Al Bhed's skull, knocking him out instantly.

"That all of them?" I ask, and she nods. Just then, 3 more run in the door.

"Man! I just can't catch a break!" I exclaim, now thoroughly ticked off. These Al Bhed, unlike the others, are wielding long swords. They look like they know how to use them, too.

"Stand back!" I tell Yuna, drawing my sword. I've never fought three armed people at once, but I'm not backing down.

One of the Al Bhed makes the first move, slashing downward with the sword. I jump back, letting it impact the floor, and duck just in time to avoid being decapitated. I trip the Al Bhed who swung, and kick his sword away from him. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my back. Apparently, the third decided to slash at me, and he connected. Reaching back, my left hand comes away bloody, and I glare at the offending swordsman.

"You are dead." I say, casting Haste on myself and running up to him before he can react. Slashing my sword twice, he's sent to the ground, an X-shaped line of blood on his chest. He's not dead, but he won't get back up. The first Al Bhed slashes at my leg, and catches me in the ankle, drawing blood again. Dropping to my knees out of surprise, I dodge to the left, parrying a stab at the same time, before bringing my sword straight up, knocking his sword up into the air, and punching him in the gut. As he doubles over, I bring the end of the sword hilt into his face. Instant knockout. The last Al Bhed has gotten his sword back by now, and is eyeing me intently. Suddenly, he lunges for Yuna, sword outstretched.

"No you don't!" I yell, running in front of Yuna and blocking the downward slash, before kicking him in the kneecap, dropping him to one knee, before I soccer kick him in the face. The crunch I hear lets me know that his nose is broken, and he slumps to the ground. I follow suit a moment after, starting to feel dizzy from the loss of blood. I haven't ever lost that much that quickly, I don't think. After a moment, a wave of sparkles washes over me, the result of Yuna's Cure spell, and the cuts on my back and ankle close up, being replaced with thin red marks.

"Are you okay?" she asks, kneeling down. I nod slowly, before standing up, leaning on my sword for support.

"I'll be okay. Just dizzy. We have to get out of here right now." I say, as Yuna and I walk out, making our way back to the deck. Before we can move, the boat shakes, and I know what happened immediately.

"Well, Lulu got the crane working." I chuckle, imagining the top of the machina being ripped off. Leaving the room, we make our way back into the dining area, just before another crash goes off, this one just as loud as the first. "And that's the end of him." I mutter, stumbling a little bit. Opening the door, we're instantly met with the faces of Lulu, Tidus, and Kimahri, looking a little bruised.

"Blitzballs hurt a lot more when they're shot at you." Tidus tells Lulu, who shakes her head, looking at Yuna and myself.

"I hope you two hurt them." she says, and Yuna smiles.

"A little." she replies, sounding almost innocent.

"Yeah. She hit me with one." I say, earning a smile from Lulu, and a laugh from Tidus. Tidus stops laughing after a moment, and looks around.

"What is it?" Yuna asks him, and he looks back at her.

"There were these Al Bhed that saved our lives when we first came to Spira." he says, motioning to me. "They took us on their ship, even gave us food. I was kinda hoping this was the same ship. But it's not. I wonder if they're all gone."

"What happened?" Yuna says, sounding intrigued.

"Sin came up near us. We made it out okay, but I don't know what happened to their ship." he says, and Yuna looks down slightly, looking worried.

"Um, was there anyone called Cid on that ship?" she asks. Tidus shrugs.

"I don't know. They were all speaking that Al Bhed language."

"I see." Yuna says, sounding concerned.

"So who's Cid?" Tidus asks, causing Yuna to look up.

"He's my uncle, but I've never actually met him." she replies, causing Tidus to think a moment.

"Wait. That means you're Al Bhed too, Yuna?" he says, to which she nods.

"On my mother's side, yes. Cid is my mother's brother. He became distant after my mother married. But she told me to seek him out if I ever needed help." she explains.

"Don't tell Wakka about Yuna's lineage." Lulu cuts in. "The thing about Wakka—he never had much love for the Al Bhed."

"Whoa! I gotta tell Wakka!" Tidus exclaims, turning around.

"I thought I told you not to tell Wakka!" she says, before Yuna places a hand on her shoulder.

"The game!" she says, causing Lulu's eyes to widen.

"Oh!" she says, quickly casting a Fire spell in the air, which makes a bright flash in the sky.

"And that was for?" I ask, even though I know the answer.

"The reason they kidnapped me, is because they wanted the Aurochs to lose. They agreed to return me safely if the Aurochs threw the game." Yuna says, turning to me. Lulu has already followed Tidus, and I start to walk after them, but Yuna stops me.

"Can I ask you something?" she says, and I nod.

"Sure."

"That...was really brave of you back there. I want to ask you to become my guardian, if you want to, that is." she says, smiling.

"Lady Yuna, I would be honored to become your guardian." I reply, doing the prayer gesture. She smiles, and does it as well, before the two of us quickly follow Tidus and Lulu back to the stadium.

* * *

So, Ben's now a guardian. Wonder what's going to happen now. As always, please review! I was quite happy with the reviewers from last chapter, so thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! 


	12. Chapter 12: Deception

Well, another chapter is done, and now we have a co-host, co-commenter, whatever you want to call it.  
Nightfire: Hey! What's this 'co' stuff? I'm more important that you are!  
Eh, don't mind him folks. If you've read FF8: The Shadow Slayer, you'll recognize him. He wanted to be here, and unfortunately, I agreed. I may have to kill him before long, but it'll be better than nothing for now.

Iron-Reaver: I've got one now. Can I do multiple encounters _now?_ Vegnagun wasn't that tough, but it did help to have a healing spell. Never know when the bosses will pull something tricky out.

missmanga90: Sounds good to me. I'll let you know. May start work on it sooner than I think.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Yup, still going. Doesn't look like I'm gonna stop, either.

anbu713: I'm glad you like it! Your suspicions are right, for the most part. Won't show up until a _long _time from now, though.

Now, onto the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 12—Deception

As we arrive back at the stadium, and walk to the locker room, I hear about how the Aurochs pulled off an amazing come from behind victory, winning 3 to 2. Apparently, they were holding out to see if we were successful or not. I trail behind the group, rummaging through my shorts pockets for the moment. Finally finding what I was searching for, I pull out several small spheres, 2 marked with an 'A', one with an 'M', and another with an 'S'. Speed, mana, and 2 more abilities, the next 4 nodes on my Sphere Grid. Taking a moment to unlock them, I feel a little faster, and mentally stronger, as well as gaining knowledge of my next two abilities. One will be a very nice addition.

"Sure you're all right, Cap'n?" Datto says, looking at Wakka, who is slumped against the wall, sitting on one of the locker room benches.

"The game starts in a few minutes. You sure you okay?" Letty chimes in, as Jassu shakes his head.

"We're playing the Goers, too."

Wakka drops the ball he had been holding, and slumps back on the bench again. An audible groan can be heard from the members of the team, as we walk in the door. Tidus stops the ball with his foot, and kicks it up into his grip, smiling.

"Miss me?" he says, throwing the ball to Datto.

"Lady Yuna!" he exclaims, standing up.

"Are you okay?" Letty asks, Yuna nodding.

"All this because of me. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she says, feeling guilty for being the cause of the Aurochs' troubles.

"How can you let some Al Bhed kidnap you?" Wakka says suddenly, causing me to wince inwardly.

'_Tactful, Wakka.'_

Tidus seems to catch it as well, speaking up. "Hey, let it go, all right?" he says, as Wakka turns back to his team.

"Don't go near Al Bhed any more, okay? They're trouble." he says, as we all turn to leave, sans Tidus. Yuna stays behind a moment, as does Kimahri, which leaves just Lulu and I to exit the room. After a moment of waiting, Yuna walks out, followed by Kimahri.

"So, is Wakka gonna play?" I ask. Yuna shakes her head.

"I don't think so. He looked pretty beaten up in there, but he might." she replies.

"Didn't really think so. How much time left till the game starts?"

"About...five minutes. Why?" Lulu asks.

"I've got something I need to do. I'll meet up with you guys sometime during the game." I say, walking off.

"Okay." Yuna says, as she, Lulu, and Kimahri walk off, towards the inside of the stadium.

"Now. I don't like you, Seymour, and I know you're up to something. It's no accident that those fiends show up after the game. I'm going to find out why." I say to myself, exiting the stadium. As I leave, I can hear the announcers over the loudspeakers.

"This is it, folks! In just a few minutes, the championship game! But who could have imagined...a championship game between these two teams! Our legendary Luca Goers going against...the horribly ill-fated Besaid Aurochs!" Bobba says.

"This looks like history in the making, Bobba." Jimma says, as I make my way around the stadium.

"This place has to have a back entrance, but where in the heck is it?" I mumble, looking around the outside. Finally, reaching the very back, I notice a small set of double doors.

"Bingo." Walking over to the doors, I pull on them. They don't budge.

"Crap, locked." Suddenly, I hear voices from the other side. Flattening myself against the wall, right next to where the doors will open, two men walk out, pushing a small cart. Seizing the chance, after they clear the doorway, I get myself in the door before it slams closed again. Now, I'm in a long hallway, lined with doors on each side. Walking down the hallway, not making a sound thanks to the bottoms of my shoes being softer than my tennis shoes, I look at the names on the doors. I hear footsteps again, and duck into the first door I see. Luckily, it's unlocked. As I shut it, I breathe a sigh of relief, and then have to keep myself from screaming as I look around. Several cages on wheels line the walls, each holding a type of fiend. Vouivres, Dingo fiends, even 2 large Garudas are caged up in the room. Also, several of the fish fiends, Sahagin Chiefs, are in a large aquarium on one side.

"So that's how they got in. From the inside. That's what I thought, you rotten, sneaky Maester." I say, to no one in particular. Just then, the door opens, and 2 men walk in, as I cower behind a large crate in one corner of the room, listening intently.

"Seymour expects us to handle these things? You're kidding." one says, and the other slaps him over the head.

"You dolt. All we have to do is take them back to the room we just left from. Then, we're outta here."

"Psh. Fine." he says, grabbing one of the carts and wheeling it out. The other grabs the tank with the Chiefs in it, and follows the other out, leaving the door open. I creep to the door, looking to the left to make sure no one is there, and follow them down the hallway silently.

We don't go far, maybe a hundred feet, before they turn and walk into a large, open room, where the bottom of the blitzball sphere can be seen. It's solid metal, not glass as the top is. We must be directly under the bottom. One of the men hooks a large hose up to a part of the bottom, as the crowd cheers, now able to be heard by our proximity to the sphere. The man sticks the other end of the hose into the tank, and wheels the other cart over to a side of the room, next to a door. I duck behind another stack of crates, with what I assume are more maintenance tools for the sphere. Seymour walks in then, smiling.

"What are you waiting for? The game is almost over!" he orders, the two men scurrying off quickly to retrieve the other cages. As the men leave, Seymour looks around, before walking over to the tank. I stand up to make my escape back to the stadium, when he suddenly turns around and looks at me.

"I knew someone was watching me. It's not polite to spy on a Maester." he says, smiling evilly the whole time. I glare back at him.

"Not exactly polite to let fiends loose on the innocent bystanders up there, now is it?" I say, venom almost dripping from my voice.

"Touche. What can I say." he says, shrugging, before pointing his hand at me. "Fira!" he says, the great ball of flame rocketing at me, as I throw myself to the floor.

"Haste!" I say, suddenly regretting my actions. At this point, he's a lot more powerful than I am. To attack him would be suicide. Smiling, I use the first of my new abilities. "Slow!" I yell, and the time magic does its work, slowing Seymour's actions down dramatically. That was in vain, however.

"Dispel!" he says, eliminating the slowing effect, before casting another spell. "Blizzara!" A powerful burst of ice smashes into my chest, knocking me down. Before I can get back up, Seymour walks over to me, and grabs me by the throat, lifting me up with surprising strength.

"You will keep my little secret for now, or I will crush you where you are. The choice is yours." he says to me, and I realize I have no choice. Besides, no one would believe me anyway at this point.

"Fine, you win." I say, and he drops me to the ground. Quickly regaining my breath, I run out, and faintly hear the announcers.

"Unbelievable! The Aurochs win, folks! This is one for the record books!" Bobba says, as I glance back only to see Seymour throw a lever, and the piece of metal over the tube opens, allowing the Sahagin Chiefs full access to the sphere.

"I gotta move!" I say, running as fast as my Hasted body will go. While I'm running, I take the chance to use my second new ability.

"Cure!" I yell, and the familiar wave of sparkles washes over me, healing me fully. As I burst out the back door, and sprint towards the front, I can see people running around in the distance, screaming. The fiends have already made it inside. Finally making it to the front gate, I dash back towards the sphere, hoping I'm not too late to help.

As I enter the area holding the blitzball sphere, I'm greeted by what can only be described as mass pandemonium. People are running every which way, trying to escape the fiends that Seymour has let loose on them. Faintly, I see Tidus and Wakka fighting off the Chiefs in the sphere, and a growl to my left catches my immediate attention. Looking over, I see Auron standing there, facing down a Vouivre. Refreshing the Haste I had cast on myself, I run over to try and help, only to see him strike it down with one blow.

"Easy enough." I hear him mutter, as he turns, noticing my approach. "Ben. I assume the others are here as well?" I nod.

"Yeah, they're all here. I haven't seen Yuna, Kimahri, or Lulu, though, and Tidus and Wakka are up there." I reply, pointing to the sphere, just in time to see Tidus cut through the last fiend, and head for the door. Quickly leaving the sphere, I watch Tidus and Wakka kill 2 Dingo fiends, before running towards us.

"Where's Yuna and the others?" Wakka yells, shouting to be heard over the crowd's panicking. Looking around, the 4 of us scan the stands and floor of the stadium, before Auron finally spots them, over near the west side of the floor.

"There!" he shouts, running over to them. But, after we move a few feet, we're stopped by a massive Garuda, swooping down from above. Joining the Garuda a moment later, is a Dingo fiend, and another Vouivre.

"Ben, you and Tidus take the Dingo. Wakka, hold off the Garuda for a moment, as you're the only one who can easily strike it. I'll handle the Vouivre." Auron says, charging the fiend, as we do the same. Tidus jumps in, cleaving downward, as I jump in with a horizontal swipe. The fiend dodges my strike by ducking, but doesn't avoid Tidus', which cuts it clear in two. Auron simply charges in, and dodges a claw swipe from the Vouivre, before decapitating it on the spot. Wakka is having a little more trouble with the giant Garuda, though, and we rush back to help him.

"Dark Attack!" he yells, throwing the blitzball, but the Garuda dodges. I run up and try to slash at the fiend, but it flies out of my reach. Same thing happens with Auron and Tidus. Wakka finally gets a hit in on it, which causes the fiend to swoop down and claw him with its talons.

"Cure!" I yell, causing Tidus to look at me strangely.

"Since when did you know that?" he yells, as I ignore him for the moment, focusing once again.

"Slow!" I yell, the magic slowing the Garuda down to a crawl, as I drop to my knees, unable to cast anything else for the moment.

"Dark Attack!" Wakka repeats, the attack connecting this time, blinding the Garuda. Auron pulls his sword back, and leaps up into the air, using Dragon Fang on the Garuda, weakening it, as Tidus runs in.

"See ya!" he yells, slicing across the creature's chest twice, causing it to fall and explode into pyreflies.

"Let's go!" Auron yells, running towards Yuna and the others, who have just defeated several of the Dingo and Vouivre fiends, and are taking a quick breather. Two more of the Vouivres appear next to me, and I yell to Auron, taking up a defensive stance.

"Go on! I'll hold them off!"

Running in, I deliver a quick slash to the front legs of the first, before spinning aside, out of the path of a headbutt from the second. Bringing the sword up, it cuts an arc through the air, before going straight over the face of the second, blinding it in one eye. The other gets in a headbutt, connecting squarely with my head, sending me tumbling back through the air. It growls, advancing on me, as I stand up, my vision spinning as I try to regain my orientation. I manage to get the sword up just as it tries another claw swipe at me, but it knocks the sword back down to my side, and cuts me across the chest.

"Agh!" I cry, falling backwards again. Just then, I see a bolt of magic fly overhead, a Blizzard spell from Lulu slamming into the chest of the Vouivre, killing it at last. The other, half-blind one now tries to charge, but only ends up getting impaled on the end of Auron's sword.

"Cure!" Yuna yells, using the healing magic on me once again. Standing up, I sheath my sword, just as Seymour decides to make his grand entrance. Doing the prayer gesture, a massive anchor descends from the sky, burrowing into the ground and stopping. The chain attached to it starts to rise once again, and the anchor is now carrying a massive, mummified fish creature, with one eye missing. It is also chained up, from top to bottom, preventing it from moving anything other than its head.

"So that's Anima..." I say, eyes widening at the sight of the powerful aeon. Letting out a screech, the aeon turns its head to the remaining fiends, as its eye starts to glow. After a moment, powerful beams of energy begin to shoot from its eye, obliterating any fiend it comes in contact with. Several shots of this, and the fiends start to decrease in number. After another minute, they are all destroyed, a massive swarm of pyreflies replacing the numerous fiends in the stadium.

"Uh, wow." I stammer, amazed at the power in the aeon's attacks. _'And to think, we have to fight that thing later...' _

Seymour smiles evilly at me, though no one else seems to catch it, before walking off. Glaring at the spot he was just standing on, I put my hand on my hip. _'Can't keep your little secret forever, Seymour. I'll find a way to get them to see it. Just watch me. Who says the storyline has to go as planned...'_

"Ben, are you okay?" Yuna asks, looking me over for a moment. Turning to her, I nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine. So, where's the next destination on this adventure?"

"The Mi'ihen Highroad." Lulu says, beginning to walk out of the stadium, everyone else, including me, following her after a moment. Before we can leave however, the Aurochs come running up to Wakka.

"You're really leaving, Cap'n?" Datto says, as Letty looks at Wakka.

"Shouldn't you heal up first?" he says. Wakka shakes his head, looking at his teammates.

"Yuna needs me with her now. I can't be lying around in some bed." he says, the Aurochs hanging their heads at his response.

"Yeah, but..." Datto protests.

"Come on, look sharp!" Wakka cuts in. "The blitz season just started. Don't make those faces, ya?" he says, handing the statue of the Crystal Cup to Datto. "Well...see you, boys! You be good."

"Cap'n..." the Aurochs mumble, not at all happy with the departing of their captain. Wakka frowns.

"I can't hear you!" he says loudly.

"Cap'n!" the Aurochs yell, brightening up a little.

"Well, then, off to the Highroad?" I ask, looking at Yuna. She nods, and I nod back, as we all walk out of the stadium.

Walking into a large, open area, similar to a town square of some sort, we all stop to rest for a few minutes. Yuna seems to notice something troubling Wakka, and turns to face him.

"Are you sure?" she asks, referring to his decision to leave the Aurochs. Wakka shrugs, smiling back at Yuna.

"Never liked long goodbyes. Sorry for making you wait, Yuna. I had some promises to keep, ya. From now on, I'm your full-time guardian."

Yuna smiles at Wakka. "Then welcome back, Sir Wakka. Good to have you with us."

"Hey, it's good to be back, ya? So, any news on what happened?" he asks us, now referring to the fiends' attack on the stadium. I debate between saying something, and keeping my mouth shut. The latter option wins out, as Lulu speaks up.

"Not really." she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "We don't know where the fiends came from. Maester Mika is safe and sound, thanks to Maester Seymour. That's about it."

'_Yeah, cause that lying, arrogant Guado set the whole thing up. That's why Mika's safe, cause they're both in on everything, I bet.' _I think, angrily.

"Maester Seymour's aeon...it was so powerful." Yuna says, staring off into space. I look around, noticing Tidus and Auron are now gone. Catching a glimpse of Auron's red coat, over near a corner of the square, I walk over, silently hoping to listen in on the conversation. Tidus isn't going to take this well, I can already tell.

"Hey, you! Don't just stand there! All of this is your fault! Gettin' swallowed by Sin! Ending up here in Spira! Not being able to go back to Zanarkand—everything, everything! I'm telling you, it's all your fault." Tidus half-yells at Auron, furious at the warrior. Auron simply stands there, before beginning to chuckle.

"Who are you, anyway?" Tidus asks, to which Auron remains silent. "You knew my old man, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Auron answers bluntly.

"And you also knew Yuna's father?" Auron nods.

"That's correct."

"Hey, man, no way! Hey, man, there's no way. That's just impossible." Tidus says, disbelieving. Auron simply shakes his head.

"Nothing impossible about it. Jecht, Braska, and I...together we defeated Sin, ten years ago. Then I went to Zanarkand...where I watched over you. So that one day I could bring you to Spira." Auron explains.

"Why did it have to be me?" Tidus asks.

"Jecht asked me to." he says, causing Tidus to pause a moment.

"Is he alive?" he says, looking intently at Auron, his apparent hatred for his father seemingly broken by the question. Auron continues to look at the ground.

"It depends on what you mean by 'alive'. He is no longer human. But then...I felt something of Jecht there in that shell, couldn't you?" he says, looking at Tidus now. "You must have felt him when you came in contact with Sin."

Tidus' face goes a pale shade of white at this. "It can't be..." he breathes. Auron reluctantly nods.

"It is. Sin is Jecht."

"No! That's ridiculous! No way!" he cries, violently denying the true statement. "I don't believe you!"

"But it is the truth. You'll see for yourself. Come with me." Auron says.

"If I say no?" Tidus replies, Auron staring at the ground again.

"Every story must have an ending."

"I don't care about your stories!" he cries again, visibly angry, or maybe just sad. Despite all his open admittance of hatred for his father, I can see a glimmer of affection underneath the surface.

"I see. Sorry you feel that way. Fine, then. Come or don't come. It's your decision." he says, turning to walk away.

"What am I supposed to say?" Tidus says suddenly, causing Auron to stop. "You tell me it's my decision, but I don't have a choice, do I? I have to go with you! I have to! You're the only one who can tell me what's going on anyway!" he yells, crouching on the ground. I can't help but smile. Auron just used an age old trick to get Tidus to agree. It's so much fun to watch.

"Irritating, I know. Or are you afraid?" Auron asks, walking over and placing his hand on Tidus' shoulder. "It's all right."

"Auron?" Tidus asks, looking up at the older man. "Will I ever go home? Back to Zanarkand?"

"That's up to Jecht." he replies. "I'm going to offer my services to Yuna. Come." he says, and I look around, noticing the others are gone.

"Ben. Come along." he says, not even looking towards my hiding spot. I stare, dumbfounded for a moment, before speaking.

"Wha...How'd you know I was listening?!" I exclaim. Auron just smirks, and if anyone had been watching, they would've seen my eye twitching. "Stupid, no good, warrior monk person..." I mutter, following him reluctantly.

As we arrive back at the front of the stadium, at the bottom of the steps, I see Yuna, Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri, all sitting down, conversing among themselves.

"Oh!" Yuna exclaims, standing up, the others following suit after a moment.

"Whoa." Wakka says, in awe at the almost legendary guardian.

"Sir Auron!" Yuna says, happy to see him.

"Yuna." Auron says, looking at the summoner.

"Sir?" she replies.

"I wish to become your guardian. Do you accept?" he says, causing her eyes to go wide, as well as Lulu and Wakka's.

"You're serious?" Lulu says, in shock.

'_Does he sound like he's kidding?' _I think, chuckling inwardly.

"You refuse?" he says, almost seeming to play the same game he did with Tidus.

"No, no! We accept! Right, everyone?" Yuna says, turning to look at her guardians, who all nod.

"O-Of course! No problem at all!" Wakka stutters.

"But...why?" Lulu asks, a bit confused.

"I promised Braska." Auron says simply. Yuna's eyes light up at this.

"You promised my father? Thank you, Sir Auron! You're welcome to join us!" she exclaims, doing the prayer gesture.

"And...these two come too." he says, grabbing Tidus and moving him in front of him.

"Hi...guys. Eh...howdy!" Tidus stammers, nervous.

"This one I promised Jecht." Auron explains, causing Yuna to look concerned.

"Is Sir Jecht alive?" she asks, causing Auron to shake his head.

"Can't say. Haven't seen him in ten years."

"I...see." Yuna says, pausing a moment. I almost think for a moment she suspects what we already know.

"You'll meet eventually." Auron says, and I almost stare in amazement.

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it!" Yuna says.

'_If you knew what I knew, you wouldn't be looking forward to it, Yuna.' _I think to myself, as Auron grabs me now.

"This one I promised a friend." he explains, and I simply do the prayer gesture, as Yuna speaks up.

"Ben is already my guardian. I asked him to become one after he saved me from a group of kidnappers earlier." she says, to which Auron simply nods.

"I see." he says, walking over to Lulu. "So, what's our itinerary? Where are we headed?" he asks.

"Hey! Come with me!" Yuna says to Tidus, who follows her over to another part of the area. A whistle breaks in, and I turn to see Yuna smiling.

'_Well, she finally learned to whistle.' _I think, smiling, as I listen to Auron and Lulu's conversation about the next destination. Deciding to take a moment of rest, I walk over and sit down next to Wakka on the steps of the stadium entrance. Suddenly, the lull of the conversation is broken by Tidus, who is laughing quite loudly, Yuna standing by about to laugh herself. Suddenly Yuna joins in, and I shake my head.

'_Crazy. Just...crazy.'_ I think, as they turn around to find everyone, myself included, staring at them.

"What're you looking at?" Tidus asks us, and Wakka shrugs.

"We were just worried you guys might've gone crazy!" he says, causing me to laugh.

"Sorry!" Tidus says, chuckling along with me after a moment.

'Well, then, alright. Now, we will go to the temple of Djose." Yuna says, beginning to walk towards the Mi'ihen Highroad. "And guardians?" she says, looking back. "Don't forget to smile."

Leaving the stadium, we walk down the road for a short distance, coming to a large bridge. Off in the distance I can see what I recognize as the Sphere Theater, and I chuckle at the thought of it.

'_Wonder if you can buy blank spheres there, to record things on?' _I think to myself, and an idea crosses my mind. "Guys, I'll be right back." I say, as we pass the road that leads to the theater.

"Ok, but make it quick, ya?" Wakka says, waving his hand to hurry me along. Nodding, I sprint down the path towards the theater. After a minute of running, I walk up to the front door, and look around. This place reminds me of a typical movie theater, to be exact. Even has the little snack bar, and stuff. But that's not why I'm here.

"Excuse me. Do you have any blank spheres for sale, or know where I could buy some?" I ask the receptionist, who nods.

"We have some for sale, 500 Gil if you want one." she tells me, and I reach in my pocket, grabbing 500 Gil out of my wallet.

"I'll take one." I tell her, and she takes the money, handing me a blank sphere from behind the counter.

"It's very simple to operate. Push this button to start the recording, and this one to end it. You can start and stop it as many times as you like, until it won't hold any more video. It holds quite a bit, though." Nodding, I place it in my backpack.

"Thanks!" I say, walking out the door, and dashing back down the road to the group. "Okay, let's go." I say, following the party once more, as we step onto the long stretch of road, leading to the Djose Temple.

* * *

Nightfire: Haha! You got your tail kicked! Twice, no less!  
Grr....shut up. I'll deal with you later. Next chapter will be up soon, but for now,please review! 


	13. Chapter 13: Walking The Line

Disclaimer: I do not own the song used in this chapter. All rights go to the band themselves, the songwriters, and anyone else involved with the writing/singing of said song.

Before I begin the review replies, I would like to state one thing. For anyone reading, if you read chapter 12, you may want to go back and re-read the last half/third of it. I made a large error near the end, which has now been rectified. If anyone noticed what it was, I'm sorry. If no one did, well, I guess I'm just lucky then. Anyway, on to the replies!

Iron-Reaver: No, the blank sphere has nothing to do with Seymour. Think of it as my video camera. I'm going to use it as such. Yes, I must give credit to you for the idea of Slow, but anything else from here on out is mine. And yes, I guess I am lucky.

Firagamaster: If you're reading this, welcome! I assume that means the story is good? Lol.

discord2chaos: Yes, you do sense a plot bunny. Not until next chapter, though. Well, let's just say the ending will probably go as normal. So, in a sense, you're right. And no, Ben and Yuna will not be a couple. You'll see.

missmanga90: Thank you! I'll let you know.

Now, on to the actual story. If you happen to have access to the song used at the start here, listen to it while the fight's playing if you want a slightly more in-depth experience.

* * *

Chapter 13—Walking The Line 

The Mi'ihen Highroad. Otherwise known as what I called, "the longest dang stretch of continuing dirt path I've ever seen." And it's the truth. This thing is LONG. Couple miles long, I think. And we have to walk it. Well, maybe I'll get to fight some more fiends. Looking at my Sphere Grid, I notice the next few nodes are normal stuff, like agility and mana, but after that, are some Black Magic abilities. That's making me quite happy for the time being.

"Well, what do you know?" I say to myself, noticing a fiend approaching us. One that I doubt I could have missed. An Iron Giant fiend was plodding towards us, his enormous curved blade in hand. Accompanying him were 2 more Dingo fiends. _'Must be where Seymour got them from...' _I think to myself, drawing my sword.

"Let's do it!" Tidus says, charging the Dingo on the right, as Kimahri and Auron charge in for the Iron Giant. That leaves me to take the Dingo on the left.

"Slow!" I yell, using the magic on the Iron Giant to make their job easier, before turning my attention to the Dingo. Little too late, though. The thing leaps at me, and I have no time to react before it tackles me to the ground. Next thing I know, the thing goes flying off of me, courtesy of Wakka's blitzball. "Thanks!" I yell, standing back up. Wakka nods, and throws the ball at the Iron Giant, which has no effect other than bouncing back at him. I hear a yelp of pain, and look towards Tidus, to see the Dingo dissipating into pyreflies, and Tidus standing there, triumphant. Suddenly, the Iron Giant raises the sword, and swipes Kimahri, Auron, and Tidus away with a single horizontal stroke. Which leaves only me to fend off the Dingo, which is still alive, but wounded, and the massive Iron Giant, which is now looking at me.

"Oh, holy crap." I say to myself, eyes going wide, as the thing swings at me. The blade crashes down into the ground, a foot from where I had just been standing, as I run in and swipe at its leg. A screeching of metal on metal sounds, but no damage is done. I can hear Yuna using Cure on the 3 injured people, but right now I'm more concerned with staying alive. If that sword hits me, I'm pretty sure I'm toast. The blitzball flies in again, and with much the same effect, bouncing off the armor of the creature. A Thunder spell hits it too, courtesy of Lulu, but barely fazes the fiend. Before I can react, the thing swings again, swatting me away at least 10 feet with the flat of the blade. Tumbling end over end, for what seems like the 50th time to me, I can't help but feel angry.

_(Play Ben's theme, "Numb", Linkin Park)_

Standing up and casting Cure on myself, I glare at the ground. "Why is it always me? Why does every single little thing always try to kill me! I'm sick of it! You want to try and kill me!" I yell, my head snapping up. "Then why don't you feel...my...RAGE!" I yell, charging the creature.

"Renzokuken!" I yell, beginning to use my Overdrive, but in the back of my mind I know something's not right about this. Jumping at the creature's head, I slash across the face twice, slashing the body once as I fall. I slash at the creature's legs twice, causing it to stumble, before I stab it in the chest, actually cracking the armor, before jumping back. As I start to use my finishing move, I notice that I have a new one, after scanning my mental list. In anger, I activate it, and begin to glow with a black aura.

"Shadow...BLITZ!" I yell, as the whole area instantly turns pitch black, completely surrounding us like a sphere of darkness.

"My domain now!" I yell, my voice echoing around the area, as I charge the Iron Giant, able to see perfectly in the darkness, unlike the fiend, which is swinging the sword around blindly. The first strike I make hits the fiend in the waist, making it flinch slightly, a small dent appearing in the side from the force. Anger fueling my strikes, I slash it three times in the chest, cuts appearing in the chest armor, before slicing once at the head, cutting a gash across the helmet. Dropping the sword out of pain, the fiend staggers back a step, before I scream and drive the sword into its chest, up to the guard. The fiend looks at me, and its eyes go blank, as it bursts into pyreflies. That's the last thing I see as the sphere fades away, as I slump to the ground, unconscious.

_(End Ben's theme) _

Awakening, the first thing I see is the eyes of Tidus, staring down at me. "Aaah!" I yell, jerking up with a start. Note to self: bad idea. I slump back down instantly, waves of pain shooting through my body. "What...happened?" I ask, Tidus kneeling down to look at me.

"You, kinda went berserk on that thing." he explains.

"An Iron Giant." Lulu cuts in.

"Anyway. You got knocked away, then got back up, and pretty much went crazy. You used your Overdrive, and a different finishing move. Shadow...something." Tidus continues.

As he talks, different, sporadic images start coming to my mind, and slowly I piece together what happened. _'So, I went berserk. Well, I can kinda understand why...but still. I'm a guardian, plus, I'm in the FFX world now. I should expect to be attacked, knocked around, even killed. Shouldn't lose my temper that much over something like that.' _I think to myself, wincing as another pain lances through my right arm.

"Cure." I say, the healing magic helping with the pain, but not making it go away completely. At least I can stand up again. "Where's my sword?" I ask, and Auron points to the ground, a few feet away. I walk over and sheath it, grabbing my backpack off the ground as well.

"Let's go." Auron says simply, as Yuna and the group begin to walk down the long Highroad. I follow behind, a dazed expression on my face as I think about what I just did.

As we continue on, we come upon what appears to be a half-destroyed, ancient building of some sort. Standing out in front of it, is a short man, with a white beard. He's wearing a green robe and a tall green hat, giving him an almost priestly appearance.

"Do you know what those ruins are from?" he asks, approaching our group.

"Some old city?" Tidus says, causing the man to nod as Yuna approaches the man.

"Correct. A city most ancient! A terrible testament to Sin's power. I tremble every time I see them. Compared to Sin, humans are mere mudpuppies!" he says, Yuna clasping her hands in front of her.

"But I believe that humans are the only ones capable of defeating Sin." she says, and the man nods in approval.

"A good reply." the man says. "I am relieved to hear you say that, m'lady summoner. Where are my manners. I am Maechen, a scholar. At your service, m'lady."

"So, what exactly do you do?" I ask, awaiting the long, drawn out type of answer he will become known for giving.

"I am on a journey, studying the history of our world, Spira, seeking its stories and secrets...My travels have taken me to many places, and I am troubled by what I have seen. Fragile smiles on people's faces crumbling at the mere mention of Sin. They are counting on you, m'lady. Give them a reason to rejoice once more."

"I will." Yuna says, performing the prayer gesture, as we walk away, farther down the Highroad.

For about 15 minutes or so, we walk, no fiends approaching us to fight, or anything at all for that matter. Off in the horizon now, though, something is heading towards us. Squinting, I can make out 3 big, yellow objects, apparently running towards us. As they get closer, I realize what they are. Chocobos. Reminds me of a cross between an ostrich and a chicken, except they're canary yellow. A person is riding on the back of each one, holding reins like they were riding a horse. Two girls and one guy, in total. They come to a halt in front of us, and the first girl, apparently the leader, places her arm sideways in front of her chest.

"Lady Summoner, I presume?"

"Yes, I am Yuna." she replies.

"I am Lucil, captain of the Djose Chocobo Knights." the girl replies, the other beside her following suit, also raising her arm.

"And I'm Elma. We've been charged to guard the Highroad." the second girl states.

"There have been reports of a large fiend appearing in this area, with a taste for chocobos. Do take care, Summoner Yuna, if you are to rent any chocobos." she warns, Yuna nodding.

"Thank you. We will be careful." she says.

"Good. We should get back to our rounds. Farewell." Lucil says, turning to Elma.

"Our prayers are with you." Elma says, as the three Chocobo Knights ride past us, towards the other end of the Highroad.

"A large fiend..." Tidus says, apparently thinking about something. "Let's go get him!" I just facepalm.

"Why?" Auron asks.

"It's the right thing to do." Tidus states, crossing his arms.

"It's the right thing to do?" Auron asks, starting to chuckle softly. Tidus frowns.

"What'd I say now?" he inquires, and Auron looks up at him again.

"Jecht said that a lot, too. And every time he said it, it meant trouble for Braska and me." he says, beginning to walk down the road once again. Silently, I congratulate myself for remembering to buy a new outfit, because I surely would be sweating bullets in my original one. Puzzles me as to why Auron and the others aren't sweating, though. Looking ahead, I see a young girl and a woman, apparently her mother, standing on the side of the road. The girl is playing with a blitzball, and I recognize the girl as Calli.

"My Lady Summoner!" the woman exclaims, noticing Yuna's approach. Walking over, the girl follows her, innocent curiosity shining in her eyes.

"You're a summoner?" she asks, looking up at Yuna. Yuna kneels down to look at the girl.

"Yes. My name is Yuna."

"I'm Calli." the girl says, introducing herself.

"Nice to meet you, Calli." Yuna responds.

"Lady Yuna, are you going to bring us the Calm?" she asks. Yuna smiles.

"Yes, very soon." The girl lets out a shout of joy, jumping up in the air.

"Yay!" she exclaims, beginning to run circles around Yuna playfully as she stands up to face the mother.

"We're looking forward to another Calm, my Lady Summoner." Yuna nods.

"I'll do my best." she says, as the woman looks over at us.

"And good luck to your guardians as well." she states, motioning for Calli to follow her as she walks off down the path.

"What's the Calm?" Tidus asks, when they're out of earshot.

"The Calm is a time of peace." Lulu explains. "It comes after a summoner defeats Sin, and lasts until Sin reappears."

"Sin dies and is reborn." Yuna adds, in case Tidus didn't understand. Tidus thinks for a moment, before looking back up at the two of them.

"I get it! I thought it was weird. Yuna's dad defeated Sin ten years ago, right? But Sin's still here! Didn't make much sense until now." he says, pausing a moment. "Wait...if it just comes back..."

"Don't say it isn't worth it...because it is." Yuna says, cutting him off, as she starts to walk off along the Highroad again.

"Yuna esta enojado...podrido noticias para Tidus..." I mutter to myself, sounding mildly amused. Luckily, no one seems to think anything of my rambling. "Oy...no ella..." I mutter again, remembering who meets us in a few minutes.

We seem to be nearing the end of the Highroad, judging from our surroundings and what I remember, and I breathe a prayer of thanks. Walking this road has been one of the most annoying things I've dealt with since arriving here. Next to the steps in Kilika, of course. In front of us now, is a caravan being pulled by chocobos. Two familiar faces are riding on board, and they wave to us.

"Hey! Hey, we saw the game!" Gatta yells to us. "You guys were great!"

"Congratulations, Wakka!" he yells, as Lucil and Elma ride up beside them on chocobos.

"Hey! Stop loafing around!" Elma says sharply.

"Uh...the lady summoner and her guardians..." Gatta stammers, Lucil glaring at him from atop her chocobo.

"This mission requires our full attention. We've no time to waste! Understood?" she says, Luzzu nodding quickly.

"Yes, ma'am! Apologies, ma'am!" he says, Lucil nodding.

"Carry on." she says, as the two of them ride off, Luzzu breathing a sigh of relief and turning to Gatta.

"See? Keep your head down, say 'sir' a lot, and you'll do fine." he tells Gatta, causing me to laugh.

"Right...sir." Gatta replies, causing me to laugh harder, and Yuna to giggle as well.

"Hey, Yuna." Luzzu says, turning to her. "Even though Yevon rejected us...we still believe in you. That won't ever change."

"Thank you, Sir Luzzu, Sir Gatta." she replies. "But you know...it's not too late for you to go back to Besaid, and..."

"We should be going, sir!" Gatta says, cutting Yuna off. The caravan has pulled off without them, leaving them to scramble after it. I shake my head at the amusing sight, as we continue on down, what I hope, is the last stretch of this accursed road.

As we move farther, we come across 2 people in the middle of the road, arguing with each other. One is a male, appearing to be from the Crusaders, from his choice of clothes. The other is a girl dressed in green robes, appearing to be a follower of Yevon.

"We'll defeat Sin any way we can!" the man says angrily.

"But Yevon's teachings say..." she begins.

"Enough!" he says, cutting her off and walking away.

"I-I only meant to..." she stammers, as we approach.

"Are you all right?" Yuna asks, and the girl turns to face her, a look of surprise appearing on her face.

"Lady Summoner...?" she asks tentatively, doing the prayer gesture after a moment, Yuna doing it as well.

"Yes, I am Yuna." she replies, to which the girl smiles.

"It is an honor, my lady. My name is Shelinda. I am a disciple of Yevon." she says, introducing herself. Wakka steps up, eyeing the girl closely.

"What was that all about? The Crusaders' operation?" he asks, causing Shelinda to face him.

"You mean the one Gatta and Luzzu were talking about?" Tidus breaks in, before Shelinda can respond.

"I heard they were to use forbidden machina!" she says, shaking her fists. "I had to stop them."

"Huh? Why?" Tidus says, cocking his head at the girl.

"The use of machina is strictly forbidden by the Yevon priesthood." Lulu explains.

"That's bad, ya?" Wakka adds. Auron simply shakes his head.

"Let them use whatever they want. They still won't defeat Sin." he says. Shelinda turns to him, slightly shocked.

"I think Auron has a point. If what I've seen of Sin is any indication, I don't think a couple of machina are going to do too much..." I say, shrugging.

"But, it's not about defeating Sin! The teachings of Yevon must be upheld!" she exclaims, Wakka nodding his head in agreement.

"Yeah! Right!"

"But you don't understand!" she continues. "The Crusaders won't listen to me. And it's all because I'm just a lowly acolyte." she says, staring at the ground.

"Don't say that." Yuna says, walking up to her. "Well, I haven't been a summoner for very long myself, you see. Still, I can't put myself down every time I fail. People are depending on me. They're depending on both of us!" she says, trying to cheer up the girl. It seems to work, because she lifts her head, smiling brightly.

"Yes! Yes, you're right, my lady. Absolutely right! Thank you so much, Lady Yuna! Now, I feel I have the courage to finish my training." she says, doing the prayer gesture once more, before walking past us down the Highroad.

'_Thank the heavens that's over with.' _I think to myself, shivering inwardly.

After another 15 or 20 minutes of walking, I finally spot a building in the distance. I don't think I've ever been so glad to see a building before in my life. Walking up to it, I notice a sign hanging above the door.

"Rin's Travel Agency. Huh. Nice name." I say, as Auron speaks up.

"We rest here." he states, Wakka objecting almost immediately.

"But, this is an Al Bhed shop!" he says, causing Auron to turn around.

"Is that a problem?" he asks, calmly.

"They don't believe in Yevon, and in Luca they...they kidnapped Yuna!" he says, angrily. Auron just crosses his arms, looking stoically back at Wakka.

"Where were her guardians?" he says, Wakka and Lulu placing their hands to their foreheads in mild shame.

"Sir Auron's just concerned about your health." Yuna cuts in, hoping to stop the argument before it goes any further.

"I'm not tired one bit!" Wakka says, defiantly.

"Well I am." Auron says, walking inside the building.

'_And that's the end of that discussion...' _I think to myself, amused.

Inside, it seems to be not only a travel agency, but also a hotel as well, having a second floor with vacant rooms for travelers. The lady at the desk walks up to us, noticing our arrival.

"May I help you?" she asks, and Yuna nods.

"We would like 4 rooms, please." she says, the lady looking at a book for a moment, before nodding.

"Okay. That'll be 2000 Gil, please." she says, and Yuna pulls out the amount, handing it to the lady. "Thank you. You have the first two rooms on both the left and right. Enjoy your stay." she says, and everyone walks upstairs, Tidus and I walking into the first room on the right.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me up if or when something happens." I say, taking off my shoes, and lying down on the bed. I'm asleep in moments.

* * *

That...has to be the most annoying chapter I've written to date. Fortunately, it's about the only annoying chapter I'll probably write. Anyway, please review, and feel free to ask questions in the reviews if you're confused about anything! I'll clarify as best I can. 


	14. Chapter 14: Confusion

Only 2 reviews this time, I'm kinda sad about that. Anyway, first to the replies.

Iron-Reaver: I've already explained to you, but I'll re-explain for everyone else about Shadow Blitz. Shadow Blitz is not Ben's true 2nd finishing move, that will be revealed in this chapter. The reason he used it was simple. Pure emotions. Unfortunately, his mind and body couldn't handle the strain of using it, and so he blacked out after he finished. When he gets it in natural sequence, though, he'll be able to handle it.

anbu713: It's okay, I understand about internet problems. (Glares at computer) That part had always confused me, as I wondered how they got in, when the Crusaders are supposed to be protecting the stadium. The only thing that left, is the inside. And no, there won't be any more OCs in Destiny's Call.

Well, now, on to the actual chapter! Kind of major plot twist at the end, so get ready!

* * *

Chapter 14—Confusion

"As if I could sleep!" Tidus says, once again waking me up. As Tidus walks out of the room, I sit up, grumpily.

"With people like you, who needs an alarm clock." I mutter, pulling my shoes back on and leaving the room. "May as well follow him...he's gonna wake me up, I'll spy on him." I decide, walking out the front door of the travel agency. It's sundown now, and I look up, noticing the orange sun setting over the horizon. For a brief moment, I feel at home, as I often would walk outside to watch the sunsets. Shaking my head, I smile, looking towards the small overhang Yuna is standing on. She seems to be recording something, and memory kicks in at that.

"Oh yeah. That sphere at the end..." I say to myself, laughing softly. Tidus walks over to her, as I watch intently.

"Whatcha up to?" he asks, and Yuna jerks, scuffling with the folds of her summoner outfit for a moment, before turning around and smiling. Tidus smiles back, walking over to her, the two of them sitting down at the cliff's edge.

'_Someone got busted...' _I think to myself, amused by Yuna's actions.

"Pretty..." Yuna says, staring at the sunset. Tidus nods slowly.

"Sure is." he agrees.

"I wish I could live in a place like this." Yuna says, sadness creeping into her voice. "Peaceful...living with a smile on my face every day."

"You can, once you beat Sin, right?" Tidus asks, a slight breeze blowing his hair around.

"But then a new Sin will be born anyway." she says, her hair also wafting gently in the wind.

"Well then, you can just beat it again." Tidus says, optimistically. Yuna stares at the ground at that, speaking softly.

"I wish I could."

"Hey, you can! Trust me! You are the best summoner out there!" Tidus says, trying to cheer her up. "Yuna, why does Sin always come back?" he asks after a moment.

Yuna looks up at him, a solemn look on her face. "Sin is our punishment for our vanity. And it will not go away until we've atoned."

"How do we do that?" he asks, thinking a moment. "What did we do that was so bad in the first place? Was it using lots of machina or something?" he says, suddenly realizing he just answered his question. "Oh...wait, was that such a bad thing, really?"

"It's funny." Yuna says, the same expression that was on her face a moment ago now mixed with thoughtfulness. "Ever since I was young, I never questioned it. But, now that you ask me if it is that bad or not...I don't know. There are so many things I don't know."

Tidus smiles at that statement. "Well, then, we're the same!" he says, excitedly, standing up. "Such thinking is very unbecoming of a summoner." he says, imitating an old man's voice. "Sound like Mika?" Yuna giggles, standing up as well.

"That's not very nice, you know!" she says, still laughing.

"You know...during a game, you have to think of blitz, and nothing else, you know?" he tells Yuna, who nods.

"Okay."

Tidus pauses for a moment, apparently trying to get his thoughts together. "You can't think, 'That's a cute girl in the fifth seat from the right.' And you can't be thinking about where you're going to go on that date, because the minute you do, that's when you lose!" he says, Yuna looking mildly confused at Tidus' odd statement. "You see, uh, Yuna, what I mean is, you really shouldn't worry, you know? After we beat Sin, that's when you can worry about the future."

"I guess." she says, still uncertain. Tidus is silent for a moment, before he speaks up again.

"But Yuna, how are you supposed to beat something big like that?" he asks, turning to her again. Yuna stares out over the horizon, apparently transfixed by the sunset.

"The Final Summoning. It's the only way to defeat Sin. The only way. With it, we can call the Final Aeon. That's the goal of the pilgrimage. The Fayth of the Final Summoning lies waiting in the far north, to greet summoners who complete their pilgrimage." she says, doing the prayer gesture. "At the world's edge...in Zanarkand."

'_If only you knew how wrong you are, Yuna...' _I think, as Auron walks towards the two.

"In Zanarkand?" Tidus asks, hopeful.

"She means the ruins of a city destroyed a thousand years ago." Auron says, causing them both to turn to him.

"You sure it's ruins?" Tidus asks Auron, who simply stands there, unmoving.

"That's what I've heard." Yuna says, as Auron nods.

"You'll see it for yourself soon enough. Yuna, come back inside." he says, turning and walking back towards the inn.

"You will go with us...to Zanarkand?" Yuna asks, turning to face Tidus, who stares at the ground.

"Yeah, I'll go. I'll go to Zanarkand to see it with my own eyes." he says, walking back towards the inn, Yuna right behind him.

Walking back inside, the two of them not far behind me, I walk back to the room, laying down on the bed again. Night has fallen now, and the shop is about to close. Funny, in a whole evening, I haven't seen anyone except the girl who gave us our rooms. Little strange to me, but nothing I can do about it. Tidus walks in now, still looking slightly saddened from his talk with Yuna.

"Feeling okay?" I ask, Tidus not saying anything, simply walking over to the bed and laying down, much like myself.

"It can't be my Zanarkand..." I hear him mumble, causing me to sit up on the bed.

"Something wrong, Tidus?" I ask again.

"Do you really think that Zanarkand was destroyed?" he asks me, and I quirk an eyebrow, unprepared for the question.

"I don't know. I haven't been there." I say, cautiously. Tidus nods, and lies back down, apparently trying to go to sleep. Deciding that may be a good idea for me too, I turn off the lamp beside me, and drift off into a peaceful rest.

* * *

Waking up in the morning, I notice I'm up before Tidus. "Well, that's new." I say to myself, pulling on my shoes and heading downstairs.

"Kuut sunhehk." a man says to me, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I say, not understanding the man's Al Bhed.

"I'm sorry. It means, good morning. I didn't mean for that to come out in Al Bhed. I am Rin, the owner of this establishment. Hela du saad oui." he says, and I nod.

"I'm Ben, one of Summoner Yuna's guardians. Hela du saad oui, Rin." I say, using what little Al Bhed I know, outside of 'sorry.'

"If you are interested, Al Bhed Primers can be found all over Spira. It may be fun to learn our language." he says, reaching behind the counter. "Here, I happen to have one here that you may have." he says, handing me another of the magazines.

"Dryhg oui." I say, using the only other phrase I know.

"Oui'na famlusa." he replies, walking into one of the back rooms.

"I am seriously considering learning Al Bhed now." I think out loud to myself, as Tidus walks downstairs.

"Where is everyone?" he asks, and I shrug.

"I guess outside, I haven't seen anyone." I reply, walking towards the door. Suddenly, I hear a girl scream, coming from outside.

"Someone, help! The chocobos!" Auron runs in, looking at us.

"That's our cue. Let's go!" he says, running back out the door. Nodding, I go to run out, but am stopped by Rin.

"Thank you for your help. Please, use this." he says, handing me two bottles with 'Mega-Potion' written on them. I smile. "Dryhg oui." I say, running out the door behind Tidus.

When we get outside, Auron and Lulu are waiting. "To the chocobo corral!" Lulu says, pointing. I nod, and we run down the small path towards the corral. As we run, several chocobos run away from the agency, frightened by something. I turn to look, and see the Chocobo Eater holding a chocobo in its massive right hand. It jumps down from its spot on top of the agency, where we hadn't noticed it hiding, and loosens its grip, the chocobo fleeing in terror. I draw my sword, preparing for a tough fight.

"Haste!" I yell, using the skill on Auron this time, instead of myself. He has a tougher sword, so he will do more damage than Tidus or myself would. He puts it to use right away, using Power Break on the creature, lowering the damage it can deal to us.

The creature roars, and swipes at us, knocking us back with a shockwave. My face pales for a second, as I look back, and notice that we're near a cliff, just like your characters are in the game.

"Oh, no you don't! Not knocking me off! Slow!" I yell, using the Time magic to slow its actions, as Tidus and Lulu attack now.

"Blizzard!" Lulu yells, the shard of ice slamming into the creature's tough hide. Tidus tries his luck next, swiping twice where the icy blast connected, but not doing much more than the spell did.

"Armor Break!" Auron cries, darting back in and slashing down again, dealing a fair amount of damage to the creature and lowering its defense as well.

"Take this!" I yell, slashing over the spot the other attacks have hit, finally opening a small wound in the creature's side. Unfortunately, the thing nails me with its enormous hand, sending me back several feet. "Cure!" I yell, healing myself before rejoining the battle.

"Stand back!" Yuna says, and we all follow her lead, as her staff begins to light up with fire, and she twirls it around, before the flame travels down the length of the staff to the ground. Crouching, the rock under her rises into the air, Yuna still crouched on top. The rock column explodes after a moment, and Ifrit leaps into the air, catching Yuna and landing, who hops off of Ifrit's shoulder.

Giving a mighty roar, the aeon charges, flipping before delivering a powerful slash to the shoulder of the creature, who howls in pain and smashes Ifrit in the face, sending the aeon stumbling back a few steps.

"Meteor Strike!" Yuna calls, the aeon forming a ball of energy in front of itself, and ramming it with its head. The ball crashes into the Chocobo Eater, sending it onto it's back.

"Now, while it's vulnerable!" I yell, Yuna nodding.

Yuna gives a hand signal, and the aeon leaps over to the downed fiend, slashing it twice in its vulnerable underbelly, a screech of pain from the creature being heard as it flips itself back upright.

Roaring, the creature punches Ifrit twice, before slamming its head into the aeon's stomach, sending it stumbling back once more. Ifrit gives a low growl, and rises up again, as Yuna calls out the next command.

"Hellfire!"

Growling, Ifrit jumps into the air, and summons two balls of flame into its hands, throwing them at the Chocobo Eater. The fiend disappears into a tornado of flame as the balls strike. As Ifrit falls, it charges another ball of energy in its mouth, firing it at the fiend, which screeches in pain as the second attack connects. Landing, Ifrit digs his claws into the ground, ripping up a large piece of the earth and hurling it into the flame tornado, which explodes, sending the Chocobo Eater down to the ground, badly injured from the attack. The fiend, though badly hurt, isn't finished yet, and leaps at the tired Ifrit, smashing it 3 times in the head with its large fists. The aeon falls and fades away, unable to sustain any more damage.

"Uh-oh. What does it take to beat this guy?" I yell, slightly scared by the creature's resilience. "Renzokuken!" I yell, my emotions triggering my Overdrive, as I launch myself at the creature, slashing twice in the chest area, before jumping up and cutting twice across the head. Landing on the ground, I cut it three more times across the chest and arms, before jumping back and preparing a finishing move. As I prepare to use Rough Divide, another move catches my attention, and I decide to try it. It sounds interesting.

"Overdrive Reels!"

Standing there, still, everyone watches me, as I concentrate for a moment, the effects of my finishing move taking place in my head. After a moment, my eyes snap open and go wide, as I realize what I'm about to do.

"I don't believe this...everyone, get back!" I yell, dropping into a familiar position. Smiling, I hold my sword parallel to the ground, raising it up over my head, before bringing it down and up sharply, 4 beams of light rising up from around me. As the lights connect with each other in the air, a large figure descends from the sky, revealing itself to be Valefor, as it lands beside me. I pat it on the head, before calling out my command, a look of shock on everyone's face at what I have just done.

"Energy Ray!" I yell, calling out the aeon's Overdrive move. Valefor growls, and flies up, charging a beam of energy in its mouth, before firing it at the ground in front of the Chocobo Eater, carving a smoking line in the ground. The ground then explodes, energy and bits of earth striking the fiend, who can no longer take the punishment, and falls onto its back, arms falling limply to its side, as it begins to dissipate into pyreflies. I pat Valefor once more, before dismissing the aeon, and turn to everyone else.

"What?" I ask, looking at the startled expressions on everyone's faces. Even Auron looks a little awed.

"You...just summoned an aeon. Ben, you're a summoner?" Yuna says, looking at me. I stop and think for a moment, not really remembering that much about aeons.

"Am I?" I ask, unsure of the answer myself. Lulu steps forward, turning to Yuna.

"He must be. If what I know is correct, aeons will only come to a true summoner. The fact that you summoned one is proof enough. Had you not been a summoner, you would not have been able to do so." she explains, my eyes going wide at the information.

"But, how can I be a summoner? Summoners and aeons don't even exist where I'm from!" I say, more confused about this than anyone else.

"Well, somehow you were able to summon an aeon, so that makes you a summoner. I don't know how, but you are." Lulu says.

"I...need some time to think about this..." I say, sheathing my sword and walking away from the group. Walking towards the Travel Agency, I find a secluded spot in the small, grassy field behind it, and sit down, thinking to myself.

'_I don't get it! How in the world can I be a summoner? Summoners are just something out of the game! They don't exist in my world.' _I think to myself, before something hits me. _'Wait a minute...is this what the fayth was talking about? Is this how I'm a boon to Yuna's pilgrimage? This has to be it...there's no other explanation!' But then, what does this all mean? Do I just act like a summoner, or continue being a guardian, or what? Will I go on my own pilgrimage?_ _Will I...die?' _

"You sound troubled." the fayth says, suddenly appearing beside me.

"Wouldn't you be? I just found out I'm a summoner, something that shouldn't even exist from my world! I don't know what to do!" I yell, distraught by my newfound knowledge.

"I understand. When we brought you here, we sensed that you would be important, but did not know exactly how. Now, we know. It's your destiny to do this, Ben. You mustn't let your unsure feelings cloud your judgement. Go, and continue with Yuna's pilgrimage. It will all sort itself out in time." he says to me, disappearing.

"Right...in time..." I say to myself, standing up and walking back towards the front of the agency.

* * *

So, Ben's also a summoner. Wonder just what his role will be, now that this piece of information has been revealed? As always, please review! I was saddened byhaving only 2 reviews for the last chapter. 


	15. Chapter 15: Weakening Faith

Wow. I am extremely happy right now. I got...8 reviews to my story after last chapter! Of course, 1 was for chapter four, but still. I applaud all my reviewers, thank you! By the way, if anyone has read my other story, FF8: The Shadow Slayer, you may want to check out my Behind the Scenes story. It's what I like to call, the gag reel. Now, on to the replies!

Iron Reaver: Uh, are you forgetting Yuna? And, I will act...well...normally.

Radzilla: Yup, he got trashed. I never liked him anyway. As for how he got Valefor, let me explain. Yuna summoned Ifrit, which got defeated. That left only Valefor for her to summon. When Ben used Overdrive Reels and copied her Grand Summon, Valefor was the only available aeon. So, he summoned it.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Thank you. Ok, let me explain Ben's Overdrive Reels a little more in depth. Overdrive Reels is a finishing move that allows Ben to copy the Overdrive of anyone he has seen use an Overdrive, that he knows (i.e. his normal Renzokuken finishers), or any that he sees. The only ones he can't copy are aeon Overdrives, Jecht's Overdrive, and Sin's, as those would be physically impossible for a person to do. If you didn't catch it, and I'm assuming you did, Ben copied Yuna's Grand Summon first.

Aalazzerath: It's okay, I understand being busy. Well, read on then!

missmanga90: Two reviews...spiffy. Thanks for the compliment, first. Yes, I do watch some anime, mainly Yu-Gi-Oh! when I can.

fighter-chick: If you happen to read this, welcome to Destiny's Call, and thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

anbu713: Yes, I pride myself on plot twists, lol. That little guy doesn't know everything, but darn if he doesn't come close. That always annoyed me, so...he just didn't know this time.

Now, on to the chapter! This one is about twice as long as usual, with very little action, but the next chapter...will be full. So, bear with me here. I apologize in advance for any spelling errors, as well.

* * *

Chapter 15—Weakening Faith 

"Hey! Over here!" Tidus yells to me, noticing me approaching the group once again.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Rin said we can rent some of these chocobos, as a favor for saving them." Yuna replies, and I nod.

"Faster than walking." I say, walking back inside the shop, everyone following. As we get inside, we're met by the same attendant from before, and she smiles.

"Thank you so much for saving the chocobos!" she says, eyes shining.

"It was nothing. So, Rin said we can rent some, correct?" I ask her, smiling.

"Yes. You'll find them out in back. Good luck on your pilgrimage, Lady Yuna!" she says to Yuna, as we walk out the back way, to the chocobo corral.

"So...how do you ride these things?" I ask, a little confused, as I've never tried to ride anything like this before.

"It's simple. You just get on, and hold on tight to the reins. You use the reins to steer the chocobo." Wakka explains, climbing on.

"Huh. Sounds simple enough." I say to myself, climbing onto my own chocobo, everyone else either doing the same, or waiting for the rest of us. After everyone is mounted, Tidus speaks.

"So, where to now?" he asks, Yuna turning to face him.

"The end of the Highroad." she says, beginning to ride her chocobo down the path. Tidus and I just groan.

"You mean this thing hasn't ended yet!" he exclaims, and I just sigh, laughing softly.

"Come on." I say, following Yuna and the others' lead, who have already trotted off a small distance ahead.

Honestly, I am very, very glad we killed that Chocobo Eater. Because otherwise, we wouldn't be riding these chocobos, and making such good time. Chocobos are _fast._ A lot faster than anyone I've ever seen run. And I'm pretty fast myself, but these things make me look like a turtle. So, it's no surprise to me when after only 15 minutes of riding or so, we come to a large, wooden gate, blocking the path off from everyone. Dona and Barthello are standing in front, arguing with the guard in charge.

"How many times do I have to tell you! I'm a summoner!" she says, sounding very irritated with the guard. The guard simply shrugs.

"Sorry, ma'am. No exceptions." he says, with a tone of finality. Dona looks like she's about to scream, and I laugh softly.

"You dare impede a summoner's pilgrimage?" she says, haughtily. The guard simply stands there, shrugging once more.

"Sorry, ma'am. No exceptions." he repeats. Dona growls, and motioning to Barthello, stomps off towards the way we just came.

"Useless!" she exclaims, walking past us without batting an eye. Before we can go any further, Clasko walks up to us, dressed in his usual half-suit of armor.

"You have to leave your chocobos here. Come on, everyone off!" he says, and we all dismount, the chocobos running back towards the agency.

"So that's how he knows how to find them. He doesn't need to, they find their own way back. Smart." I say, smiling as I watch the large creatures bound along the Highroad.

While we were dismounting, a chocobo and a large cage, with a strange looking fiend inside, went past us, moving up to the gate. As we step closer, we notice that it's Luzzu and Gatta again, the latter of which begins to speak to the guard.

"Gatta and Luzzu reporting, sir!"

"This is the last of them." Luzzu says, the guard nodding in approval.

"Good to have you with us. Go on through!" he says, motioning to two other men, who quickly open the large gate. Luzzu gets back on the chocobo, and Gatta gets on the front of the cage, as the duo continue on through the gate. They see Tidus as they're going through, however, and smile.

"Show me how to play blitz sometime!" Gatta yells, Luzzu nodding, and also speaking.

"Wait around. We'll have Sin beaten in no time!"

'_Right.' _I think, knowing how this turns out.

Tidus tries to follow the two through the gate, but is stopped by the guard, just like Dona and Barthello.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you pass." the guard says, noticing Yuna after a moment. "Hey, you're a summoner and her guardians, right? Sorry for the inconvenience." he says, turning to Yuna.

"Tell me about the operation." Yuna says, looking thoughtful.

"What, they didn't tell you?" the guard asks, surprised. Yuna shakes her head 'no', and the guard continues. "We're bringing Sinspawn from all over Spira here. Sinspawn inevitably draw Sin, right? We're going to lure it into a trap! This mission, Operation Mi'ihen, is a Crusader - Al Bhed joint mission. We Crusaders lure Sin in, and the Al Bhed strike it down."

"Well, why are you working together? I thought that disciples of Yevon hated the Al Bhed?" Wakka asks, wanting a better explanation.

"You see, Al Bhed hate Sin as much as we do. They've managed to salvage ancient machina. They say they're as powerful as the mighty aeons." the guard says, drawing a gasp of surprise from Yuna. "Well, you know machina are forbidden by Yevon. Ah...on second thought, let's not go there. Better for you not to know." he says shakily.

'_Methinks someone is hiding something...' _I think, smiling to myself.

"The Crusaders in Operation Mi'ihen have all been excommunicated. My own family won't even speak to me now. We have to beat Sin today. Otherwise, there's nowhere for us to go."

'_If things go the way I know they do, you will be going somewhere. The Farplane.'_ I think, with a hint of sadness.

"Well, we may as well go back, if we can't go through here." Tidus says, and I smile.

"That's the first sensible thing I've heard you say since I arrived here." I say, causing everyone to laugh except Auron, who maintains the same expression.

As we turn to leave, we pause, as we see Maester Seymour and his assistants approaching. He gives me an evil smile, and I glare as he approaches. Yuna walks up to him, and they both do the prayer gesture.

"So we meet again, Lady Yuna." Seymour says, and Yuna smiles.

"Y-Yes?" she says, slightly stuttering.

"You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?" he asks.

"Well..." Yuna trails off, glancing at the gate. Seymour nods.

"I see." Seymour says, stepping forward to face the guard. As Seymour approaches, the guard gives a quick salute.

"Maester Seymour. Let me show you to the command center." he says, turning, but Seymour holds his hand up.

"Hold. I have a request." he says, coolly.

"Yes, Your Grace?" the guard replies, as Seymour turns slightly to face Yuna and our group.

"I need to have Summoner Yuna and her guardians let through to the command center." Seymour says, causing the guard's eyes to widen.

"But, Maester Seymour, sir." the guard protests, Seymour holding his hand up to silence him.

"Do not worry. I will take full responsibility." he says, the guard nodding.

"Very well. They may pass." he says, motioning to the gatekeepers. Seymour turns around to look at us once again, smiling at Yuna.

"It is done." he says.

"Thank you, Your Grace." she says, bowing to Seymour. I growl slightly under my breath.

'_Annoying Maester. If he wasn't more powerful than me, I'd kill him right here and now.' _I think, as Seymour walks through the gate. Yuna just watches, Lulu putting her hand on Yuna's shoulder after a moment.

"Yuna, it's time to go." she says, Yuna jumping slightly, as if she had been in a daze.

"Oh! Right!" she says, as we walk towards the gate. Tidus turns to me and Wakka, with a scowl on his face. Apparently, he can't stand Seymour either.

"Who does he think he is?" he says, annoyed. Wakka shrugs.

"He's a maester. Better get used to it, ya?" Wakka replies, causing me to facepalm.

"I may get used to it, but I don't have to like it." I say, glaring daggers at the back of Seymour's head.

A slight rumble of thunder catches my attention, and I look up, noticing the gray, cloudy sky, seemingly bearing testament to what is to come.

"Yup, this is not going to end well..." I mumble to myself, as a guard salutes Seymour.

"All hail Maester Seymour!" the guard says, as Seymour approaches a group of the Crusaders.

"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira. Believe in the path you have chosen, let faith be your strength! I, Seymour Guado, maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today." Seymour says, causing all the Crusaders to salute in unison.

"Sir!"

"What's going on?" Wakka asks, watching the spectacle before us. "Why's Maester Seymour backing the Crusaders, eh? They're using Al Bhed's machina! They're violating the teachings!" he says, obviously angry at the Crusaders for taking on this mission. Yuna turns to him, in an attempt to calm him down.

"Even going against the teachings, they're willing to risk it for the greater good." Yuna says. "Wakka, I think Maester Seymour sees that, too."

"Lulu?" he says, still not convinced. Lulu just shrugs.

"Hmm...I can only speculate."

"Ask him yourself." Auron says, motioning. Seymour approaches us, looking first to Yuna, then Auron.

"Ah. Sir Auron. It is an honor." Seymour says, smiling a bit too much for my liking. "I would be most interested in hearing what you've been doing these past ten years." Auron simply grunts.

"I've got nothing to say about it." he says flatly, walking off.

"I...see." Seymour says, turning to Yuna. "Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian.

"Your Grace!" Yuna exclaims, turning to Seymour as well. Seymour holds up his hands.

"Please, there's no need for formalities." he says. Wakka shifts a little, uncomfortably, before speaking.

"Excuse me...Maester Seymour? Why is your Lordship...presently...present here...sir?" he stammers, apparently at a loss for words. Seymour turns to him, still smiling.

"Please, speak as you normally would."

"Isn't this operation against the teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gonna stop them?" Wakka says, slightly angry.

"It's true...I should." Seymour says, hanging his head slightly, before lifting it back up. "However...both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they share. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intentions are pure. And I, Seymour Guado—the person—not the maester of Yevon...as a denizen of Spira, I wish them well in their endeavor."

'_A touching speech. Too bad it won't do them any good.'_

"But, using machina...that's bad, isn't it?" Wakka says, continuing to protest.

"Pretend you didn't see them." Seymour replies, causing everyone to gasp.

"Beg your pardon, but that's not something a maester should say!" Wakka says, stunned.

"Then pretend I didn't say it." Seymour says, turning to walk away.

"You're kidding!" Wakka exclaims, as I walk after Seymour.

"Seymour." I say, getting his attention.

"Yes? Oh, you again." he says, glaring at me.

"Question. You _do _know, that everyone involved in this, for the most part, is going to die, don't you?" I say, anger flashing in my eyes.

"Yes. Death is nothing but a vicious cycle, a cycle that keeps the world moving. I am merely...speeding this cycle along." he replies, grinning a sinister smile at me. I growl, glaring at him.

"Well, your death will be a fitting addition to that cycle." I say, turning to walk back to the others.

"It will indeed." he says to me, laughing evilly as he walks towards the command center.

Clenching my fists, I jump as I notice Yuna and the others suddenly appear right next to me.

"What were you and Seymour talking about?" Yuna asks, and I turn to her.

"The mission." I reply, halfway honestly. Suddenly, Clasko comes running up to us again.

"Excuse me, Lady Summoner Yuna?" he says. Yuna nods.

"Yes?"

"The command center...Maester Seymour requests your presence there, ma'am."

"Thank you." Yuna replies, as Clasko points down the path.

"Take that road to the command center. It's not far. We're still in the midst of preparations this way." he says, motioning to the way he came from. "Sorry." Nodding, we begin to walk down the path leading to the Crusader's base of operations.

After a short walk, we find ourselves at the entrance to the command center. And out in front are Luzzu and Gatta, apparently arguing over something.

"Why only you, sir? I want to fight, too!" Gatta says, Luzzu shaking his head.

"Orders are orders." he says simply, Gatta clenching his fists in anger.

"I'm not a cadet anymore, sir! Let me go with you, and I'll prove it to them!" Gatta insists.

"Guarding the command center is important, too." he tells Gatta, who does not seem any happier.

"But I came all the way from Besaid to fight Sin, sir!" he replies, Luzzu keeping a stern face.

"I know, but an order's an order. To your post, Crusader." he orders.

"But, sir!" Gatta protests, but Luzzu does the prayer gesture and walks towards us before he can do anything else. Gatta just runs off.

"They let you through, huh?" Luzzu says, looking at us.

"Gatta deserves better..." Tidus says, trailing off. Luzzu nods in agreement.

"At least there's no chance he'll get hurt." Wakka cuts in. "Why are you guys fighting, anyway? Aren't the almighty Al Bhed machina enough?" he says, throwing up his arms in disapproval.

"They still need some time to get them ready. Our job is to keep Sin at bay until they're done." he tells Wakka, who simply snorts and turns his back to Luzzu, crossing his arms. "Wakka...I might not get another chance to say this. It's about your brother." Lulu's eyes go wide at this.

"Luzzu, no!" she yells.

"What?" Wakka asks, his attention being caught by the mention of Chappu.

"I'm the one who convinced him...to enlist." Luzzu says, causing Lulu to gasp, and hang her head. Wakka walks over to Luzzu calmly. "I'm sorry." he says, Wakka staring him straight in the face. Suddenly, Wakka punches him in the side of the face, throwing him down. Tidus and I immediately hold Wakka back before he can do anything else.

"Wakka! That's enough, Wakka!" Tidus yells, trying to restrain the angry Wakka. Wakka stops struggling after a moment, and we let him go. Luzzu's still down on the ground, stunned.

"When we used to play blitz together, Chappu used to say...he'd say that—when we won the cup, ya?—he'd propose to Lulu. And then one day...he goes off and becomes a Crusader. Just like that." Wakka says, as Luzzu finally stands up, touching his face gingerly.

"Chappu also said to me..." Luzzu says, "that being with your girl is good...but keeping Sin far away from her is better." Wakka turns to face Lulu, ignoring Luzzu.

"Lu, you knew?" he asks her. Lulu hangs her head.

"Luzzu told me...before we left."

"She hit me, too." Luzzu cuts in, drawing a faint smile from me. Just then, Lucil rides up on a chocobo, turning to Luzzu.

"All Crusaders in the vanguard are to assemble at the beach!" she yells, several others in the area walking towards the beach, along with Luzzu.

"That's my cue." he says, Wakka turning back to him.

"Luzzu! Don't die out there." he says, causing Luzzu to turn.

"So you can hit me more?"

Wakka holds up his hand, and punches into it repeatedly. "Lots! Lots more!" I burst out laughing, unable to control myself any longer. Luzzu just stares for a moment, before walking towards the beach. Yuna steps in front of him.

"Sir Luzzu, please! Please, don't go!" she implores, Luzzu shaking his head reluctantly.

"Let him go. The man has already chosen his path...as you did when you became a summoner." Auron says, Yuna timidly stepping out of the way.

'_But I didn't. I just am, somehow. My path wasn't chosen by me, it was chosen by fate. All I can do is play it to the fullest.' _I think, sadly. Shaking my head, I follow the others up to the command center. Wakka notices several Crusaders standing next to a large amount of cannons, and he walks up to one of the machina.

"Curse these..." he says, kicking it with his foot, only to reel back in pain.

"He really hates them, huh?" Tidus asks Lulu.

"Chappu...he left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid. And he fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead. Wakka turns to Lulu and Tidus, having heard the conversation.

"That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!" he says angrily. As we walk forward some more, we come to the cliff's edge, looking over onto the beach. Several Crusaders are lined up on chocobos, and they salute. The carriage we saw earlier is now open, with several Crusaders forcing the Sinspawn into a cage filled with several others. Wakka just snorts.

"It won't work anyway." he says, causing Yuna to turn to him.

"Don't say that. It might be a hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon...but the Crusaders and the Al Bhed—they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Spira of Sin, forever. And that's just what we want too, isn't it?" she says, looking Wakka in the eyes. "Isn't it?" Wakka sighs, holding his arms up in surrender.

"Hmph! All right, all right! But I still think machina are bad news! They're forbidden for a reason!" he says.

"Lady Summoner!" a voice cries, and our attention shifts to the left, where Lucil is running towards us. "There you are! The command center is that way!" she says, pointing behind her. "Maester Kinoc is also there."

"Maester Kinoc, too?" Yuna asks, almost disbelieving.

"Yes. Please hurry, my lady." she says, leading us to the command center.

When we arrive, we notice Gatta standing there, looking very bored.

'_Oh well, better bored than dead, I would think.' _I think, as he welcomes us.

"The operation will begin shortly. Please check all your equipment." he says, rather unenthusiastically.

"Um, you all right?" Wakka asks, Gatta's face turning into an angry expression.

"Of course not! I came here to fight Sin! But they stick me here!" he replies, almost seething with anger.

"If you want to prove yourself..." Auron begins, Gatta's face perking up.

"Huh?"

"You must first complete the tasks you are given." he finishes. Gatta hangs his head silently, as we walk inside. As we enter, a short, fat man in an orange robe, looking quite official, stands up and hugs Auron, much to my surprise.

"I'd heard from Seymour, but I didn't know if we'd actually meet. Good to see you, Auron! Ten years, is it?" the man says, beginning to chuckle.

"That's Wen Kinoc, one of the Four Maesters of Yevon." Lulu explains to Tidus. "He leads the warrior monks and also commands the Crusaders." As Lulu finishes, Gatta runs in.

"All troops ready to move at your command, sir!" he reports, Maester Kinoc nodding in approval.

"Good. Dismissed." he says, Gatta saluting quickly.

"Sir!" he replies, walking out the door once again. Wakka and Yuna follow him, but I decide to stick around and listen to Kinoc.

"Tell me, Auron, where have you been the last ten years?" he asks.

"We don't have time for this now, do we?" he replies, Kinoc folding his hands behind his back, and turning to the wall.

"This plan won't work, you know that. We'll just let them dream a little longer."

"What?" Tidus says, and I have to think a moment, almost not believing what I just heard.

"Lord Kinoc..." a voice behind us interrupts, revealing itself to be Seymour. No one had even noticed him enter.

"Oh, yes. Proceed." he says, Seymour bowing slightly and walking back out.

"That Kinoc...a maester?" Auron mutters, and Kinoc turns around.

"I heard that, Auron. A lot has happened in the past ten years. What were you doing, and where?" he asks, trying to get a straight answer from Auron.

"Fullfilling a promise I made to a friend. I still am." he says, the cryptic remark almost seeming to make sense to Kinoc.

"Just tell me one thing: Have you seen Zanarkand?" he asks the monk, Auron giving a short grunt and walking out. Shaking my head, I do the prayer gesture to Maester Kinoc, before leaving the center as well. Tidus and I walk over to Yuna, as everyone else seems to be preparing for the engagement.

"I kinda...think we don't belong here." she says, after a moment. Just then, Kinoc walks out of the hut, and begins to speak to us.

"It is time at last. We must tell the Al Bhed waiting outside to begin the operation at once. The fiends may break through. This place is not safe. Make sure you're prepared to defend yourselves. Tell me when you're ready." Kinoc explains, walking back to the command center.

"Everyone ready?" I ask Yuna, and she nods.

"Yes. Go tell Maester Kinoc, please." she says to me, and I nod, walking over to the command center.

"Maester Kinoc. We're ready to begin." I tell him, and he nods, stepping over to a platform hanging over the cliff's edge. I follow him back, stepping beside Yuna and Auron.

"Will Sin come?" she asks Kinoc.

"Sin always returns for its spawn. To make sure, we're going to encourage them to call out to it." Kinoc replies. Auron shakes his head slowly.

"You won't have to. It'll come."

The ground starts shaking, as everyone prepares to begin the operation. The cage that the fiends are hanging from is electrified, causing howls of pain from the Sinspawn inside. The bottom of the cage suddenly opens, and the fiends are released onto the beach, most of them immediately going for the ocean, except one. A large, snake like creature slithers around, attacking people at random. Sinspawn Gui has shown itself at last.

"Let's get down there!" I yell, drawing my sword, and racing down the path to the beach. Yuna, Auron, and the rest nod, and follow me down. In the back of my mind, I know, however, that the war that is Operation Mi'ihen has only just begun.

* * *

Well, next up, the operation gets underway! Finally, something good might happen! Probably not, though. Anyway, please review, and once again, a big thanks to everyone who reviewed this chapter, and has done so thus far! 


	16. Chapter 16: Disaster

Well, another chapter over and done with!  
Nightfire: About time, too! You surely are annoying.  
Grr...(casts Firaga on Nightfire) Now. Where was I? Oh, yes. Replies!

missmanga90: Heh, Seymour was trouble from the first time I saw him. I'll try and read some of your stories one day.

BlackWindKaze: Welcome to Destiny's Call, and thanks!

Iron Reaver: Yes. I do want a cookie, and yes, I will be using Overdrive Reels. Read on to find out.

anbu713: Damnable Seymour indeed. Heh, glad you like the secret meetings that Ben and Seymour keep having. I figured Seymour would love gloating every time they saw each other, and it just fits into the storyline so well.

Now, on with the action! Least there's more of it than last time!

* * *

Chapter 16—Disaster

"Let's get em!" I bellow, casting Haste on myself and charging Sinspawn Gui with everything I have. Enthusiastic? A little. Running up to the creature, who is easily 10 times as tall as me, I slash at the bottom, only to have my strike blocked by one of Gui's thick arms. Walking backwards, I hesitate a moment.

"Ok, problem..." I say, as the others run up to me.

"Power Break!" Auron yells, wasting no time in running up to the creature and slashing it down the center, lowering its attack power. Giving a snarl, the creature rears its head back, and unleashes a greenish liquid upon us. Spraying over all of us, we find ourselves coughing and choking as a result of the fiend's Venom.

"Esuna!" I hear Yuna yell, curing herself of the poison first, before beginning to cast it on us. Wakka pulls out an Antidote, and drinks it, while the rest of us wait for an Esuna spell. Throwing the blitzball at the fiend, Wakka goes on the offensive, Tidus joining him a moment later. Another slash is blocked by Gui's arm, but the blitzball hits it in the head, stunning it for a brief second. As an Esuna spell washes over me, I stand back up and rush in once again, jumping to slash at the creature's lower torso. The creature smacks Tidus away, before focusing on me. Before it can do anything, a Blizzard spell flies in, courtesy of Lulu. Wakka throws again, using that as a distraction. Gui screeches again, slamming a claw into Wakka, throwing him away.

"Wakka!" I yell, quickly using a Cure spell on him. Wakka stands back up, a little woozy, and glares at the creature.

"Stupid thing! Take this!" he yells, clenching a fist and closing his eyes for a minute. After a moment, he tosses the blitzball up, twirling it on his finger while a frosty aura covers it, before he kicks it at Gui. Connecting, the blitzball delivers a strong burst of frost, as well as stunning the creature again.

'_Element Reels. Cool.'_ I think, casting a Haste spell on Auron, who runs forward and slashes halfway through the right front leg. Gui retaliates by casting a Thunder spell on Auron, who flinches at the lightning attack. Tidus draws his sword back, and concentrates a moment, before jumping and flipping with his Spiral Cut Overdrive, tearing a large slash down the front of Gui.

Roaring, Gui draws its arms in, and uses another spell after a moment. Unfortunately, it's Demi, which tears a large amount of our strength away from us. Now, I activate my Overdrive.

"Renzokuken!" I yell, running up and jumping to slash at Gui's middle, only to be blocked again. Giving a growl, I _slice the left arm off_, before falling back down to cut at the middle again. This time, three strikes connect before Gui blocks the last with its right arm. Jumping back, I activate my finishing move.

"Overdrive Reels!" I yell, concentrating again. Laughing, I jump into the air, pointing the sword downward as it glows with energy. "Dragon Fang!" I yell, copying Auron's Overdrive this time. The sword slams into the ground, and explosions cover Gui for a moment, weakening it even more.

"Stand back, everyone!" I hear Yuna yell, and notice her summoning an aeon. Backing off, we get away just in time to see Valefor descend from the sky again, and give a short growl.

"Sonic Wings!" she commands, and Valefor flies up, sending a burst of air at Gui with its wings. The attack hits, but doesn't seem to do very much. Valefor growls again, and flies at Gui, aiming to stab it with its talons. It gets one strike in, before Gui knocks the aeon away. Suddenly, Gui snarls, and another arm replaces the one that I cut off!

"Oh, crap. That's right, it regenerates..." I say, cursing myself for forgetting that. Valefor dives in for another strike, and slashes Gui across the face, earning a screech from the Sinspawn. Gui's head starts to twitch, and it sprays another blast of Venom at Valefor, but the aeon is unaffected by the attack. Moving with surprising speed, Gui charges and rams Valefor with its head, Valefor using another Sonic Wings attack to push the creature back. Giving one more cry, the Sinspawn rushes Valefor again, slamming it twice with its arms in a pincer fashion, sending the aeon to the ground, where it fades away.

Standing still, I look up at the massive Gui, attempting to summon an aeon of my own. But, as I try to call upon one of them, I realize that Valefor is now too weak, and Ifrit still hasn't recovered. "Nuts." I say, casting Haste on Tidus. Tidus, Auron, and I all attempt a triple attack, and Gui roars, raising both arms in a defensive position. Tidus' attack is blocked by the left arm, and mine by the right, but Auron's gets through, slashing yet another cut down the middle of Gui. Gui writhes in pain, the repeated sword attacks beginning to hurt him. Kimahri darts in, slashing with his halberd at the bottom, and scores another hit. Gui raises an arm, and swats Kimahri away, but Yuna casts a Cure spell on him quickly. Lulu raises her hand and sends down a Fire spell, which makes a slight burn mark on Gui's abdomen.

"This thing is tough!" I hear Wakka say, and I nod.

"Yeah, no kidding! Lot tougher than the others! But still not tougher than us!" I yell back, charging in once more. But, before I can raise the sword, I'm smashed in the body by a powerful punch from the Sinspawn. The wind completely knocked out of me, I fly back, feet not even touching the ground, to hit the sand about 6 feet away. Dazed, I faintly feel a Cure spell hit me, and I sit up. Kimahri roars, and jumps on his halberd, bounding up in the air to crash down on Gui, stabbing a path straight down the front of the creature. The Sinspawn moans in pain, and casts another Demi spell on us, sending me back to the ground. I'm almost unable to move now, and I use Cure on myself, somehow finding the strength to stand.

"Man, you just won't die! Renzokuken!" I yell, using my Overdrive again. Jumping up, I slash Gui's arms first, rendering it helpless to defend the next 5 strikes that cut ragged paths through its chest and face. Jumping back, I pick my finishing move quickly.

"Rough Divide!" I yell, darting in and carving a path up through the creature, earning another howl of pain for my efforts, the fiend seeming weaker with each strike. Finally, Auron charges in, and cuts one final time, sending the fiend to the ground, still alive, but unable to do anything more than twitch.

"Whew. That's over with, for now..." I say, watching the Crusaders organize themselves behind us. Suddenly, Sin rises up out of the water, looking like a massive island removing itself from the water.

"Let's go!" I hear Lucil yell, and the Chocobo Knights surge forward, as the Al Bhed cannons that are set up along the beach fire, each of the shots knocking pieces of Sin's skin off, to fall in the water below. The Crusaders storm the water's edge, beginning to do battle with the fiends created from Sin's fallen skin.

"Look out!" Auron yells, but the Crusaders cannot hear him. Sin drops its outer layer of skin, appearing fully, and an energy barrier crackles into existence around him, quickly expanding to engulf the Crusaders. The energy barrier disintegrates anything that comes in contact with it, the Crusaders and fiends turning into nothing more than dust, which blows away, as the barrier continues to come inland.

"Oh crap!" I yell, as the barrier suddenly explodes with energy, knocking everyone to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

As I awaken, I look around, noticing dozens of dead bodies lying around me. I shiver at the sight, and stand up quickly, looking for any sign of anyone. A roar to the right catches my attention, and I see Seymour and Yuna fighting off a newly revived Sinspawn Gui.

"Yevon, how I hate this..." I say, running over to help Yuna, and reluctantly, Seymour. Auron is right behind me, and I tense up for yet another fight. Suddenly, a small glint catches my eye, and I look down, noticing a small, slender blade lying on the ground beside one of the bodies. "A wakizashi...wow. This could help me out a lot..." I say, grabbing the blade and sheath from the body, as disgusting as it seems to me, before running up to the trio.

"Stand back, Lady Yuna." Seymour says, and Yuna nods slowly, stepping back slightly.

"Y-Yes." she replies, as Auron and I drop into attack stances. Seymour takes the first move.

"Fira!" he yells, the powerful second level black magic hammering into the creature, scorching its torso.

"Power Break!" Auron cries, using the same move he started out with the first time we fought this creature. I just glare, charging in and slicing the creature along its left arm with both of my blades.

"You don't know any special sword skills?" Yuna asks me, and I shake my head.

"Not yet. I don't think I will, actually. But, let's save that for later!" I yell, dodging a strike from Gui, as Seymour raises his hand again.

"Blizzara!" he cries, the icy blast slamming into Gui's head, snapping its head back while covering it in a frosty veil.

'_Wow, Seymour's spells do a lot more than we were able to. Maybe having him on our side for this fight isn't so bad.' _I think to myself, preparing to use another attack.

Before I can attack again, Auron runs in, stabbing the creature in the lower torso with his sword. Taking the chance, I run in and jump onto and off of Auron's sword, using the extra height to slash twice at Gui's chest, causing the Sinspawn to wail in pain. Auron rips the sword out, and slashes the fiend in the torso for good measure, as we run back.

"Thundara!" Seymour yells, a powerful bolt of lightning falling from the sky and striking the creature in the top of the head, the electricity coursing through its body, as it slumps over, smoking slightly.

"Let's finish it!" I yell, as Auron and I run towards the Sinspawn, and bring our swords down on its head, cutting deep gashes into its head, before Auron steps back, and raises the sword high. I step back, out of the way, as Auron brings the sword down, decapitating the powerful Sinspawn and killing it for good. The creature bursts into pyreflies, as I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Finally." I say, as Yuna looks around in slight panic.

"The others?" she says, running down the beach a little bit, looking for any sign of Tidus, Kimahri, or the others. Suddenly, a loud rumble gets our attention, and we all look skyward, to see a massive flying ship approaching Sin. Apparently, the Al Bhed decided to bring in their trump card. The ship hums slightly, and two devices fall out from under panels in the bottom, extending out to become what look like giant lances. As the ship hovers carefully, the lances begin to glow, and Sin's barrier reappears, two enormous bolts of energy firing at the barrier. Yuna prays, as the two powers collide, each trying to overpower the other. Sin pushes the energy beams back for a moment, before the beams push the barrier back. For a minute, it looks as if the beams may break the barrier, but then a piece of the barrier slices forward, impaling the tower of the ship completely. Yuna gasps, as the tower explodes, the ship falling into the sea with a mighty splash. Sin roars, and begins to submerge, as Gatta's voice is heard in the background.

"What's...going on? Why? What?" he stammers, before throwing his head up, and screaming. "What's going on? Suddenly, Tidus runs past us, towards the departing Sin.

"Don't you run away from me!" he yells, jumping into the water and beginning to swim after the fleeing creature.

"Everyone, stand back! I'll summon!" Yuna says, trying to do something to help defeat the massive Sin. Seymour walks in front of Yuna at this.

"You won't hurt it. Your powers are still...too weak." he says, and Yuna turns around, beginning to spin her rod.

"But I must do something!" she cries, trying to summon an aeon.

"You can't!" Seymour says, and I walk up to the two of them.

"He's right Yuna. There's nothing we can do. Just let it go." I say, putting my hand on her shoulder. Out in the distance, I see Tidus surface and float for a minute, before beginning to swim back towards us, having abandoned his futile chase. Now that the fighting is over, I take a moment to get a good look at the results.

The beach is completely littered with broken machina parts, dead bodies, and discarded weaponry. Shaking my head, I notice several of the survivors, mourning over the dead bodies of their friends. I do the prayer gesture, out of reverence for the souls that have been lost today. Yuna is performing the sending a short distance away, and I turn my head, unable to look at the spectacle.

"I see you're still here." Auron says to Tidus, walking over to him. Tidus turns to face the monk, confused.

"Huh?"

"Many stories ended here today...but...yours goes on, I see." he replies, turning to walk towards the command center again.

"What?" he says, but Auron is already out of earshot.

"You do not look so well. But now, more than ever, you must be the people's strength, their confidence." Seymour says, as Wakka does the prayer gesture, much the same as I did. Yuna looks like she's about to cry, her eyes sparkling slightly as Seymour continues to speak. "Anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow. But you...are a summoner. You are Spira's hope. Until Sin is defeated, you must not relent. Do you understand?" Yuna nods, wiping her eyes.

"Yes. I understand." she replies. Seymour smiles at her.

"Are you afraid?" he asks, Yuna smiling back at him. "Yuna, take me as your pillar of strength. As Yunalesca did her Lord Zaon. Lady Yuna, until next we meet, farewell." he says, walking away. Yuna does the prayer gesture, and I stare on in amazement. I've seen it before, but I am still shocked.

'_Did Seymour...just flirt with Yuna? Sick...' _I think to myself, my face contorting into a disgusted expression, as I shake my head, beginning to figure out a way to attach my new weapon to my side. As I try and tie the sheath around my hip, Tidus walks over to Auron, who looks at him, turning away from the ocean.

"Sin is Jecht." Tidus nods, fully believing the truth now.

"So he killed all those people just for a chance to see me?" Auron nods in response.

"That's what Sin does. He wanted to show that to you. Do you know why?" he asks, and Tidus shakes his head.

"How am I supposed to know?" he replies.

"So you would kill him. As long as he is Sin, Jecht will keep killing. He wants you to stop him." Auron says, causing Tidus to throw up his hands in exasperation.

"You gotta be kidding. How do you know all of this, anyway?" he asks, to which Auron just laughs a haunting laugh, and begins to walk back towards the command center. "I'm not done talking to you! Don't you run away!" he calls after Auron, who turns back to him.

"You're the one running." he says simply, continuing on.

Sighing, I take one last look at the area, before walking after Auron and Tidus.

* * *

"Hey, you two! Hurry up!" Yuna says, referring to Kimahri and Tidus. We've all begun to walk back towards the way we came, in order to turn and head to Djose Temple. Tidus and Kimahri are lagging behind.

"She's awfully cheerful." Tidus says to Kimahri, who walks forward a little, then stops and turns to Tidus.

"In dark times she must be. She must shine bright." he says, causing Tidus to gasp.

"Huh?" he says, not understanding the Ronso.

"Now are dark times. Yuna tries hard." he says.

"We should help her, then." Tidus says, looking at Kimahri.

"If we worry, she tries harder. Do not frown." he says, turning and walking away again. Tidus follows us, speaking up again.

"Don't worry, be happy?" he asks, and Kimahri turns back to him.

"Kimahri try, too." he says, and Tidus crosses his arms.

"Smile! Let me see." he says, and Kimahri opens his mouth, trying to smile, but looking more like he's about to growl.

"Sad..." Tidus mutters, and I chuckle slightly, having seen Kimahri's expression.

'_I guess Ronso can't smile.' _I think, feeling slightly bad for Kimahri as we walk back towards the path that leads to Djose Temple, as well as what should be my first aeon as a summoner.

* * *

So, on to Djose Temple at last! Finally, the plot begins to thicken! As always, please read and review! 


	17. Chapter 17: Trial By Storm

Sorry this chapter took so long to get done! College really has been a pain lately. Anyway, on to the replies, of which there are plenty. Makes me happy.

Iron Reaver: Yes, finally got my defensive item. And, no, I'm not stupid enough to take on Sin with Haste, Slow, and Cure. That honor would be reserved for Tidus.

anbu713: Yep, Ben and Yuna get the aeons now. I'll try on the plot twists, though I haven't planned ahead to see what I can do.

Aalazzerath: No, I'm not playing the game while I type, it's a combination of decent memory and having the script handy.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Heh, Rikku returns next chapter. So, prepare to enjoy it!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Thanks. Much thanks.

Andinel: Yes, Ben is a real summoner. The Overdrive Reels just showed what no one had known. If he hadn't been, the summoning would've failed.

Omega Gilgamesh: If you're reading, I sent you an e-mail with my replies.

Stelmaria: One at a time here...first, welcome to Destiny's Call, and thank you for the compliments. No, I'm not, like I told Aalazerrath, it's all memory and having the script handy. Ok, here's the deal. Ixion is Ben's first _self-earned_ aeon, but he can summon Valefor and Ifrit because of copying Yuna's Grand Summon when she had both of them. Had he done it when she only had Valefor, for instance, he would've had to earn Ifrit the same way he gets Ixion. No, his Overdrive is not Grand Summon. His Overdrive is Renzokuken; if you've played FF8, you'll know what I'm talking about. His finishing moves are, up to this point: Rough Divide, Overdrive Reels, and Shadow Blitz. Overdrive Reels is the one that you mistook for Grand Summon. It allows him to copy any Overdrive he sees or knows, as long as it's humanly possible to do (excluding Sin's/Jecht's, for example). And finally, he will be calling aeons more than that one time. By the way, yes, you do get the award for longest review yet. (Hands Stelmaria a small statue of a piece of paper)

Now, without any further delays, the 17th chapter!

* * *

Chapter 17—Trial By Storm 

"Hey! How much longer till Zanarkand?" Tidus asks, staring down the road leading to Djose Temple. Turning to him, Wakka is the first to reply.

"Still a ways." he says, Lulu also turning to speak.

"First down the Moonflow to the Guado city of Guadosalam...then we cross the Thunder Plains to the temple of Macalania." Lulu replies, and I just chuckle.

"In short, quite a long way away, still. Don't worry, we'll be there before you know it!" I say, trying to cheer Tidus up.

"Oh, boy." Obviously, I don't think it worked.

"And before that, I get to pray at the temple in Djose!" Yuna says, adding her input into the conversation.

"We can't just skip all that? Can we, huh?" Tidus says, frowning slightly.

"That's a summoner's training." Wakka says, placing a hand on his hip. "She's gotta prepare mind and body, all just to get ready for the Final Summoning."

"Must be tough, Yuna." he says, and Yuna smiles.

"I'll be fine with you here!" she replies happily, as we begin to walk down the road.

"Hey, new guy." I hear Auron say softly, and Tidus turns, stopping to face the monk.

"Uh...me?" he says, looking sheepish.

"Who else?" Auron replies, and I just shake my head, turning back to the group. I know what they're about to talk about anyway. Yuna not needing to find out about Jecht, and such.

"Yuna." I say, causing her to look at me. "Since I'm a summoner, doesn't that mean I'll have to pray at the temple as well?" I ask, and she furrows her brow, thinking for a moment. Lulu speaks up first, however.

"I'm not sure. You didn't pray at the temples of Besaid and Kilika, so it stands to reason that you may not be able to perform the Final Summoning anyway. But, I suppose you may be able to call new aeons by praying as well." she says, and I think about it a moment, before nodding.

"I see. You're probably right." I say, noticing Tidus and Auron walk back up to the rest of us. Suddenly, I notice Lucil, Elma, and Clasko in front of us, with only one chocobo between them.

"Yuna, it is good to see you and your companions are well." Lucil says, looking over to Yuna.

"Yourselves as well, Captain. We were worried. Praise be to Yevon!" she replies, doing the prayer gesture.

'_I wasn't. I knew they'd get out. They always escape.' _I think, laughing to myself in my mind.

"We escaped with our lives, but our troops were decimated." Lucil says, Elma stepping up beside her.

"Of all our chocobos, only this one made it." she says, Clasko deciding to jump into the conversation as well.

"We make pretty poor Chocobo Mounted Forces without chocobos." he says, as Lucil hangs her head.

"We turned our backs on the teachings, and cast away our faith. This...this is our just reward."

"Hey. You don't deserve this. You guys tried your best to put an end to Sin, and now you're saying you deserved to fail? Come on. You've got to be kidding me." I say, annoyed at Lucil's statement.

"Maybe...you're right. I don't know." she says after a moment, walking off past us. Shaking my head, I follow the group as we continue to walk towards the Djose Temple.

* * *

As we arrive at the temple, Tidus looks up, before looking around, seemingly confused.

"Where is it?" he asks, and I smile.

"There." I say, pointing to the large column of rock in the center of the clearing.

"That's the temple? It can't be." he retorts, as the ground starts to shake slightly. A bolt of lightning breaks out of the top of the rock column, as the rock blows apart, beginning to float around the temple, connected by tendrils of electricity.

"Yes, it can. This is the temple." I say, beginning to walk inside, everyone else beside me.

"Another summoner must already be inside." Lulu says, as we approach the doors.

'Think it's Dona?" Tidus asks, and I shudder.

"Hope not." I reply, walking inside.

The temple's inside was nothing short of amazing. Large doors, decorated with intricate designs stood tall on the left and right sides of the room, as well as one at the top of a stair set in the center, leading to the Cloister of Trials. A wonderfully painted mural of the sky and clouds adorned the wall around the Cloister door, and another beautiful mural was painted onto the floor in the center of the room. All in all, a breathtaking place. It takes me a moment to get over the beauty of the place, before remembering that Yuna has a job to do here, as do I. Walking up to the Cloister door, it suddenly opens, and 3 people step out. The first one out is obviously a summoner, dressed in priestly robes, and he is flanked by a young boy, no more than about 7 or 8, and another man, about my age or a little older.

"I beg your pardon, but may I ask your name?" the summoner says, and Yuna nods.

"I am Summoner Yuna, from the isle of Besaid." she says, and the man's face lights up.

"As I thought! The daughter of Lord Braska. You have the look of your father." he says, and Yuna clenches her hands in front of her.

"My father? You knew him?" she says, excitedly, but the man shakes his head.

"No. I have never met the man." he says. "Ah, my apologies. I am Isaaru." he says, as we do the prayer gesture to one another. "I am a summoner, like you." The little boy speaks up now.

"I'm Pacce. Please to meet you." he says, as the other man steps forward.

"And I'm Maroda. I'm guarding my big brother here." he says, motioning to Issaru.

"Since I was a child, I've always looked up to Lord Braska." Isaaru explains. "I wished I would someday become a High Summoner like he was. You must have some of your father's talent in you! I believe you might someday defeat Sin." he says to Yuna, smiling. Yuna looks down slightly, obviously unused to taking such praise.

"I...I'm not really...I've only just become a summoner." she says, stuttering slightly from nervousness.

"Of course, I've no intention of losing, either. So perhaps we should race to see who can defeat Sin first, no?" he offers, and Yuna nods, smiling.

"Very well, then. I accept your challenge." she says, as Maroda turns to Isaaru.

"Isaaru!" he says, causing Isaaru to nod, his guardian beginning to descend the steps towards the door.

"Yuna, I beg your leave. Good luck, to both of us!" he says, as the three of them begin to leave.

"Yes." she says, watching the trio depart. I just stand there, looking around the room, as the rest of the group enters the door to the trials. When I notice they're gone, I start to walk inside, but I'm stopped by Isaaru's voice.

"Hey, you."

"What?" I reply, walking down the steps to face him.

"You are Yuna's guardian, no? Maroda's heard a curious rumor. I thought you should know." he explains, and I nod as Maroda turns to me.

"I heard it from those Crusaders. Seems that summoners have been going out on pilgrimages and just...disappearing." he says, Isaaru cutting back in.

"It could just be the fiends got them...but not so many so quickly."

"Sorry I don't know more." Maroda says. Ain't much future for a guardian without a summoner, eh?" he tells me, Pacce trying to hear what's going on.

"What? What? Whatcha all talkin' 'bout?" he says, dancing around. Maroda turns to him, bending down to look him in the eyes.

"We're talking about doing your job as a guardian!" he says, a slight edge of humor to his voice. Pacce just pouts.

"Hey, I'm doing good! Right, big brother?" he says, turning to Isaaru, who nods, before looking back at me.

"Please, be careful." he says, as they start to walk away.

"I will. Don't worry." I reply, walking up the steps and into the Cloister of Trials.

* * *

"All right! Guardians, at attention!" Wakka says as I walk in, everyone getting ready for the trials.

"We are ready." Yuna says, and Wakka nods.

"All right, let's do it!" he replies, walking into the trials.

A short while later, maybe 15 minutes at the most, after a lot of sphere placing and removing, pushing pedestals, and almost getting hit by lightning bolts, we make it to the Chamber of the Fayth. The door opens, and I turn to face Yuna, slightly nervous.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to do this?" I ask, and she nods.

"If you are a summoner, which you are, you will be fine." she says, walking inside. I just shake my head slightly, before following her inside, the door shutting behind us.

The inside of the Chamber of the Fayth is much like the main chamber of the temple. Beautifully decorated with murals of the sky, sea, and land. Pictures of people are drawn onto the walls, what I assume are summoners who have defeated Sin before. The whole room has a decidedly solemn air to it, and Yuna and I both fall to our knees, doing the prayer gesture. I follow Yuna's lead, praying softly, and after a moment, the image of a man appears in front of us. The man is a little taller than me, an old man with gray hair and a short, white beard. He's dressed in a green, short sleeved shirt, and a pair of long green pants. A blue wristband is strapped onto his left wrist, and a small blue bag hangs from his side.

"Greetings, summoners. I am the fayth Ixion. You prayed for help to defeat Sin, and I have come. I will grant your wish, and hope that maybe you will finally be the ones to defeat the great beast." the fayth says, and I nod slowly, bowing my head in reverence to the spirit. The man smiles, and moves towards us, holding out his hands. A bright flash of light overtakes us, and a dizzying sensation follows a moment after. Standing up, I almost fall back down again, shaking my head to try and clear the disorienting feeling. I can feel the fayth in my mind, however, and so I know that I have successfully gained my first, self-earned aeon. Yuna smiles softly at me, and I smile back, as we exit the Chamber of the Fayth, still feeling slightly woozy from the endeavor.

As we exit, Yuna falls to her knees, Kimahri at her side in an instant to help her up. As Yuna stands up, I notice Dona and Barthello standing there as well, and whatever dizziness I may have been feeling dissipates immediately, to be replaced by a strong loathing towards the female summoner.

"You owe much to your father." she says, the same cocky tone present in her voice as before. "All these guardians...and Sir Auron too? And I hear Maester Seymour's quite taken with you. The world must look different when you're the daughter of Lord Braska." Yuna must feel the same way I do, because she suddenly stands up straight, glaring at Dona.

"This has nothing to do with my father!" she says angrily. "I am traveling on my own, as a full-fledged summoner!" Dona just smirks.

"Oh, is that so?" she says haughtily. "Then try standing on your own two legs for once. Your guardians won't be able to protect you when the time comes." she says, entering the door to the Chamber of the Fayth.

"I cannot stand her." I say, beginning to leave the Cloister of Trials as the door closes.

Leaving the temple, I turn to Wakka, stifling a yawn in the process. "Hey, is there somewhere to sleep here? It's kinda late." Wakka looks back at me, pointing over to the west side of the area.

"That's the Djose Inn. We can rest there before we leave for the Moonflow." he replies, and I nod.

"Good." I say simply, walking towards the inn to make our reservation. After talking a moment with the woman at the desk and paying for rooms, everyone walks up to their respective room, hoping to get a good night's sleep. Except for Yuna, I notice.

'_Oh yeah, that's right. She stays up all night helping heal and send the fallen.'_ I think, closing the door to my room. After a short time, I fall onto the bed, preparing for another long walk tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, I get out of bed and head downstairs, seeing the group preparing to leave for the Moonflow.

"We're leaving once Yuna gets here." Wakka says, and Tidus begins to walk towards the temple. I follow, awaiting quite an amusing exchange.

Entering the temple, Tidus looks around a moment, walking in the door to the right, which is empty, before we enter the door to the left, to find Yuna asleep on one of the beds in the room. A woman notices our entrance, and walks up to us.

"She was working until dawn. Healing the sick, sending the fallen." she explains, and we nod, Tidus speaking up first.

"Ok...I guess I'll let her sleep for now, then." he says, as we turn to leave. Yuna gives a short moan and sits up just then, causing Tidus to jump.

"Morning!" he says, waving slightly, and Yuna gasps.

"What? Morning?" she says, looking around frantically, suddenly wide awake.

"Don't worry!" Tidus replies, and Yuna stands up.

"But it's morning!" she exclaims, running around frantically, trying to make herself somewhat presentable to us and the rest of her guardians. "I'm so sorry! I-I'll get ready right away! Just a moment!" I stifle a laugh, but barely, watching Yuna dash around the room.

"Don't worry! It's okay!" Tidus says again, as we leave the room. I finally let out the laugh I've been holding as we walk out of the temple, causing the others to look at me strangely.

"What's the matter with you?" Wakka says, raising an eyebrow.

"You'll see in a minute." I say, between laughing spurts. Yuna races out after a moment, her hair still quite a mess, unbeknownst to her.

"Yo! Sleepyhead!" Wakka calls, Yuna running over to us quickly.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" she says, walking over to Auron and bowing. "Please forgive me."

"Really, there's no rush...here, your hair." Lulu says, causing Yuna to reach up and try to make her hair somewhat decent.

"A summoner with bed hair! What's the world coming to?" Wakka says, causing me to laugh once again.

"You could have woken me up!" she protests, turning to Wakka.

"We called to you, but with all that snoring..." Lulu says, trailing off as Yuna gasps, causing me to laugh harder. Yuna just frowns.

"Hmm...what is it today? Everyone's picking on me!" she says, everyone starting to laugh, except Auron. But, that doesn't last very long, Auron beginning to chuckle as well after a moment.

"Once Lady Yuna fixes her hair, we leave." he says, causing me to almost stare in amazement.

"Wow. Auron just cracked a joke? Well, this is just a day of firsts, isn't it." I say, causing Yuna and the others to laugh again.

"Alright, let's go, ya?" Wakka says, as we all start to walk down the path that will take us to the Moonflow.

A couple minutes and a few fiend battles later, we encounter the Chocobo Knights once again. Except, Clasko isn't with them this time.

"Off so early?" Lucil asks, doing the prayer gesture to Yuna. "Lady Yuna, you must be exhausted after working so hard last night. Will you be okay?" she says to Yuna, who giggles, doing the prayer gesture back to Lucil.

"I feel that I have rested enough. But, thank you for your kindness!" she says. "Will you be leaving, too?" Lucil nods.

"Yes, first we cross the Moonflow, and then we head north in search of chocobos to replace the ones we have lost."

"Once we find chocobos, our mounted forces will ride again!" Elma says, excitedly. Tidus takes a moment to look, before stating what is somewhat obvious.

"Huh? Aren't you missing someone?" he asks, as a voice breaks the silence.

"Captain! Waaaaait for meee!" Clasko yells, running in and placing his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.

"What took you so long?" Elma asks, turning to the out of breath Clasko. "We're leaving!"

"You expect me to keep up with a chocobo?" he says, between gasps.

"He has a point..." I say, remembering how fast it was to ride them. Lucil just shakes her head.

"Lady Yuna, I wish you good fortune. Elma! Clasko! Let's go!"

"Ma'am!" Elma replies, Clasko looking up pitifully.

"Eh? C-Can't I just rest a sec..." he says, Elma cutting him off.

"No complaints!" she says, as the three of them leave again, Clasko looking as if he's going to faint at any moment. Watching them leave, we continue on after a moment, hoping to reach the Moonflow soon. After a few minutes, we come to a fork in the road.

"Where to next?" Tidus asks, causing Lulu to turn to him.

"We cross the Moonflow." she says simply, Tidus nodding.

"Gotcha. Moonflow, baby, here we come!" Tidus exclaims, and I just sigh, Tidus' enthusiasm beginning to annoy me slightly as we keep walking towards the Moonflow.

* * *

Finally, another develepmental chapter out of the way! Next chapter, the Moonflow and Rikku's return! What will happen? Only I know...please, read and review! 


	18. Chapter 18: Flow Of New Memories

Wow, the reviews just keep increasing in number! I'm happy. 50 shattered what I had expected to get, but 68? I'm touched. Anyway, on to the replies!

Iron Reaver: Thanks. Yes, you will see the next of my Overdrive skills soon. Just wait. And no, I haven't planned out any of the sequence with Ben and Rikku yet.

missmanga90: Rikku returns! And yes, we will be a couple. That's not 'til later, though.

Radzilla: Thanks for the compliments. Yes, Rikku is one of my favorite characters also. And, the optional parts add storyline info, and sometimes a break from all the drama. It would be kinda silly for me NOT to put them in.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Thanks. I always figured the fayth were kind of like the GFs from FF8, and you have to know some way whether they're able to fight or not.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Welcome to Destiny's Call, Gohan! No, Paine will not be in this, you'll have to wait till the sequel for that. But, there will be allusions to X-2 later. Just wait... And yes, Ben and Rikku will become a couple, but as I've said, not until a little later.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Thanks.

anbu713: Very, very, strange. That's probably no different than normal, though.

Stelmaria: No problem. I try to answer everyone's reviews completely. Now, let me clear up the Overdrive Reels/Grand Summon thing once and for all. Ben can normally summon Ixion, as he has actually earned that aeon. But, he can also summon Valefor and Ifrit through Grand Summon.Since that is a copy of Yuna's Overdrive, and she has those aeons, he's able to summon those also. For the second question, see the above replies. You'll get your answer.

Andinel: Honestly, I don't know. I haven't quite planned the ending out yet, so it is possible that they will go back when they get the airship to allow him to pray at Besaid and Kilika.

Now, finally, on to the chapter! And, by the way, if anyone wishes to know more about any of the characters in Shadow Slayer, or Ben from Destiny's Call, visit the homepage link in my profile, and check the blog entries. The site isn't finished yet, but 4 entries are up in the blog.

* * *

Chapter 18—Flow Of New Memories

The road leading to the Moonflow is decidedly...bland. Trees, road, and, well, more trees. It's starting to remind me of home. Almost. If it wasn't for the random fiend fights, and such. I just got 4 different spells at once, and the others have learned some new abilities too. Black Magic spells will be fun to use.

"Good day, everyone." An all-too-familiar voice suddenly breaks me out of my examination of my next skills, and I almost groan upon seeing who it is.

"Hi, Shelinda." I say, trying to be polite. She smiles, before looking at our whole group, reminding me of a teacher about to begin a long-winded lecture.

"We can all learn a lesson from what happened to the Crusaders. Only the truly faithful have a hope of defeating Sin." she says, and I clench my fists, immediately angered by the statement. There are a lot of things that I can stand, but two things that I can't. One, people threatening my family or friends, and two, people saying things like that.

"And how would you know? Did Sin itself tell you or something? Those people tried with all their might to defeat Sin, and they failed. But don't say the reason they failed was because they didn't believe in something! The reason they failed, is because Sin is _powerful._ It has nothing to do with faith, so just leave them alone, would you!" I exclaim, beginning to storm down the path, the others staring at me in shock after my outburst.

"Ben, wait!" Yuna says, walking down the path after me, the others following suit, still a little surprised by my actions. I don't slow up, ignoring their presence behind me, until Yuna catches up to me, and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"What?" I growl, spinning around. Yuna steps back slightly, and I try to calm myself down.

"Why did you yell at her?" she asks, and I resist the urge to glare at her, no matter how angry I am.

"Because she is _wrong. _Plain and simple. I wish she would fight Sin once. No amount of faith would help her win. Then, she'd see the truth." I say, Yuna continuing to stare at me. I just quickly force myself to calm down, before speaking again. "Let's go. We need to get to the Mooflow." Yuna nods, and everyone follows me, apparently still a little shocked at my outburst. Up ahead, I spot Biran and Yenke, talking to another human, who runs off after a minute.

'_Great, just who we need to see. Those two arrogant Ronso. That's just...spiffin.' _

"Look! One of Kimahri's friends. Looks just like him." Biran says, pointing at, I believe, Tidus.

"What?" he says, apparently thinking the same thing as myself.

"Both follow summoners on all fours! Hornless goatlings!" Biran says, causing the two of them to laugh.

"Hornless! Hornless!" Yenke taunts, the two Ronso continuing to laugh. Kimahri steps forward now, the same expression on his face as always.

"You come to insult Kimahri?" he says, calm despite the taunting.

"Wrong." Biran replies. "We come to warn little Kimahri."

"Summoners disappear. Never return." Yenke adds, Biran walking closer to Kimahri.

"Next will be Kimahri's summoner!" he says, causing Yuna to flinch slightly, and I just narrow my eyes at the two Ronso, knowing I shouldn't interfere.

"Poor Kimahri! Lost his horn, next lost his summoner!" Biran continues, Kimahri never batting an eye at the two, taller Ronso.

"Pitiful Kimahri! Howl alone! Howl alone!" Yenke says, adding another laugh before the two run off, Tidus turning to Kimahri.

"Do those two got something against you?" he asks, Kimahri shaking his head. "What, they were just picking on you?" he asks, Kimahri not replying for a moment.

'_Tidus, just when I thought you had a brain...you prove me wrong.'_

"Kimahri will deal with them." he replies, and Tidus clenches a fist.

"And I'll help!" he says, but Kimahri holds up a hand.

"Kimahri alone."

"But..." Tidus tries to protest, but gets stopped by Wakka before he can say anything.

"It's Kimahri's problem. We can't interfere. It's a rule." he says, and Lulu turns to the three of them.

"I'm worried." she says, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"About the summoners?" I ask, and she nods.

"They aren't just disappearing into thin air." Auron says, and I nod.

"He's right. Someone's kidnapping them." I reply, causing Tidus to turn and look at me and Auron.

"Hey, if we guardians do our job, no problem, right?" he says, and I shake my head.

"Not that simple, Tidus. What if they just decide to kill us, then kidnap the summoner?" I say, Tidus thinking a moment, before answering.

"I guess you're right. But still, we have to try!" he says, and I nod again.

"Never said we weren't. Now, we better get going again." I respond, starting to walk down the path again.

* * *

Arriving at the Moonflow, I gaze out over the water, and stare once again in awe. The whole area is a large river, wooded on both sides. The water itself is a grayish tint, but instead of looking shadowy, it looks even more enchanting than normal. Globes of light, the same as the ones that appear when a sending is performed, rise from the water, some hovering silently over the surface, others flying up into the air and flitting about.

"This is the Moonflow." Lulu says, and I just continue to stare.

"Whoa..." I say, completely stunned by the tranquil beauty of the area.

"These are moonlilies!" Yuna says, motioning to the numerous, water lily-resembling flowers dotting the top of the water. "They say that clouds of pyreflies gather here when night falls."

"The entire river glows, like a sea of stars." Lulu adds, as Tidus face suddenly turns into a smile.

"Really? Hey, I got an idea!" he says, and Auron just looks at him with a stern face.

"We're not waiting till nightfall." he says, causing Tidus to moan.

"Then, once we beat Sin, we're coming back!" he says, with an air of finality around the statement. No one responds, continuing to watch the circles of light fly into the air instead.

"Hey, we better hurry or we'll miss the shoopuf!" Wakka suddenly exclaims, turning to the path once again.

"Shoopuf? That some kind of boat?" Tidus inquires, and Wakka points up ahead, to a clearing. Looking ahead, both mine and Tidus' eyes go wide, as we stare at what appears to be a _massive _elephant-like creature, easily a hundred feet high. A cabin is mounted on its back, obviously for transporting passengers.

"Whoa, what the...whoa!" Tidus stammers, and my eyes continue to stare at the shoopuf too, as an uneasy feeling suddenly settles in my gut.

"That is a shoopuf." Wakka says calmly, walking towards the loading area.

"Uh...this wouldn't be a good time to tell you guys that I'm afraid of heights, now would it?" I say, and Yuna turns to me.

"It'll be fine. Come on." she says, and I just stand there for a moment.

"I _really _don't like this..." I say, before reluctantly walking towards the shoopuf loading area.

Tidus walks up a little closer to the creature, seemingly awed by both its strangeness, and its massive size. "Whoa...let's ride! Come on, let's go!" he says, sounding like an overeager child about to enter a toy store. Wakka just shakes his head, walking over to Tidus.

"All right! We leave as soon as we're ready, ya?" he says, and Tidus nods, as I walk over, beginning to examine my Sphere Grid some more, as Tidus and the others walk off to look around some.

* * *

A few minutes later, everyone walks back up to me, and I pocket the grid again, turning to Wakka.

"We all ready to go now?" I ask, and he nods.

"Okay." I reply, looking around for the driver of the shoopuf. Finally spotting him, we all go over to talk to him. I notice he's a Hypello, something I didn't realize at first. I hadn't the foggiest clue just _what _in the world he was the first time I played.

"Ride ze shoopuf?" he asks, and it's all I can do not to laugh. The accent is just too funny. Yuna nods, and the driver nods back, walking over to a control panel, a lift coming down from above.

"All aboards!" he says, and we all walk onto the lift, as I go over and hold onto the first solid part I see, absolutely hating the side-less lift already.

"Shoopuf launchin'!" I hear the driver say, as we rise the large distance into the air to board the cabin. I shake my head, trying to clear the slight dizziness I'm starting to feel.

"Yup, definitely don't like this...not one bit..." I mutter, as the lift swings over, all of us jumping off into the cabin. I almost fall upon landing, if it hadn't been for Tidus grabbing me by the arm. After a brief moment of everyone sitting down, and situating themselves, the shoopuf begins to move, starting to swim into the vast area of water that will lead us to Guadosalam.

About a half hour later, it starts to get annoying, what with just sitting here, with nothing to look at but water and trees. Tidus has tried to start a conversation numerous times, with no luck. Thankfully, about this time, Wakka says something that gets a response.

"Hey. Take a look." he says, pointing over the side of the cabin. Tidus and I stand up, and glance over the side, to see what appear to be the ruins of some buildings down below the water's surface.

"Whoa! A sunken city!" he exclaims, and I just look at them, examining them as closely as I can from about 50 feet up.

"A machina city—a thousand years old!" Wakka continues. "They built the city on top of bridges across the river."

"But the weight of the city caused the bridges to collapse, and it all sank to the bottom."

"Not such a good idea, was it?" I say, Wakka nodding.

"Right. It's a good lesson."

"A lesson?" Tidus asks, Wakka nodding again.

"Yeah. Why build a city over a river, ya?" Tidus looks up a minute, apparently thinking about what he just said.

"Uh...well, it would be convenient, with all that water there." he says, and Wakka shakes his head.

"Nope, that's not why. They just wanted to prove they could defy the laws of nature!"

"Hmm? I'm not so sure about that." Tidus says, cocking his head.

"He's got a point, Wakka. Water power would be very useful, enabling them to power an entire city with a minimum of effort." I say, adding my opinion in.

"Yevon has taught us: When humans have power, they seek to use it. If you don't stop them, they go too far, ya?" Wakka retorts.

"Yeah, but, don't you use machina too? Like the stadium and stuff?

"Yevon, it decides...which machina we may use, and which we may not." Lulu says, looking at Tidus.

"So which kind of machina may we not use, then?" he asks, and I just shake my head, almost chuckling at Tidus' naivety.

"Remember Operation Mi'ihen? That kind." Wakka says, bluntly.

"Or war will rage again." Lulu adds, piquing Tidus' interest once again.

"War?" he says, confused.

"More than a thousand years ago...mankind waged war, using machina to kill!" Yuna says, getting into the conversation as well.

"They kept building more and more powerful machina." Wakka says, Lulu speaking up now.

"They made weapons so powerful...it was thought they could destroy the entire world." Lulu says, her voice sounding slightly forlorn.

"The people feared that Spira would be destroyed." Yuna responds.

"But the war did not stop." Wakka finishes, Tidus looking at the three of them, almost horrified by the tale.

"Wh-what happened then?" he asks, Yuna speaking now.

"Sin came, and destroyed the cities and their machina."

"The war ended, and our reward...was Sin." Lulu says, confirming what Tidus had probably already suspected.

"So, Sin's our punishment for lettin' things get out of hand, eh?" Wakka says, as Tidus just stares at the cabin floor.

"Man, that's rough." Tidus says, and I nod my head in agreement.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"But, it's not like the machina are bad." he continues, Lulu turning to look at him once again.

"Only as bad as their users." she says, Wakka standing up suddenly.

"It's because of people like the Al Bhed screwin' everything up!" he exclaims. Suddenly, the cabin starts to shake, and I grab for the side, my fear showing itself again.

"Hope this thing's not going to fall!" I say, gripping the side tightly.

"Whatsh could thatsh be?" the driver says, as the cabin shakes again. Everyone stands up, but Auron, who yells at the rest of us.

"Sit down!" he says.

"S-Sorry!" Yuna stutters, before someone suddenly drops from above the cabin, grabbing Yuna and falling into the water.

"Yuna!" I cry, jumping into the water.

"The Al Bhed!" Wakka exclaims, jumping overboard as well, Tidus following a moment after.

As we land in the water, I look around for any sign of Yuna. I suddenly find my answer, in the form of the Extractor boss, floating nearby, Yuna contained in an energy sphere at the top of the machina.

"Yuna, we'll save you!" Wakka cries, getting ready for a fight.

"Come on! Thunder!" I yell, launching a bolt of lightning at the machina, hoping to mess up one of its systems. The thing takes the hit, and shudders a little, but really doesn't seem too hurt. A few panels open up on the side, and my eyes go wide as several torpedoes are launched, flying at us a lot faster than we can swim.

"Move!" I yell, hoping to evade the torpedoes, but they go off in front of us, sending us end-over-end through the water. Wakka looks angry now, and sends the blitzball sailing towards the Extractor, denting a piece at the bottom that looks like a rod of some sort. Wasting no time, I swim up to the machina, hoping to find some way to dismantle it.

"Dang it, why couldn't Rikku be...wait a minute! Rikku! She's inside this thing!" I say, luckily the other two not hearing me. "Great, now I have two problems. Trying to get Yuna out of this thing, and trying to keep from killing Rikku!" I mutter, looking around for any way to deactivate it. Unfortunately, no such luck.

"Aaah!" Tidus cries, as another explosion rocks the area, this time from what I believe is a depth charge.

"Dang, stupid, machina!" I yell, using another Thunder spell on it, before unsheathing my sword and beginning to hack away at the paneling. It doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot, but I keep trying, alternating a Thunder spell with some sword attacks.

"Take this!" Wakka yells suddenly, the blitzball flying in, crackling with electrical energy, which almost shocks me as well, the machina jerking sharply at the unexpected burst of electricity.

"Finally! Some damage! Let's kill it!" Tidus yells, swimming in and helping me cut into the back.

"Watch out!" I yell, pushing him out of the way of an incoming depth charge, the explosion forcing us both backwards, but also hurting the machina as well. "Let's do it!" I cry again, beginning to hack away at the Extractor again, Tidus joining me, as we expose several wires in the back.

"Hope this is something vital!" I bellow, cutting through the wires, as the Extractor suddenly shudders, the energy sphere seeming to weaken. Unfortunately, I receive quite the nice electric shock for my efforts, which almost numbs me. If it hadn't been for Tidus grabbing me, yet again, I might have just drowned. After a moment, the energy sphere disappears altogether, as the Extractor suddenly sinks to the bottom, Wakka swimming over to grab Yuna. Shaking the near paralysis off, I look at Wakka, yelling as I regain control over my body.

"Come on, let's get back to the cabin!" I yell, everyone heading for the surface quickly.

'_Hope Rikku's okay...' _I think as we break the surface. "Hey! Drop us some ropes, or something!" I yell up to Auron, as he, Lulu, Kimahri, and even the driver throw down some ropes for us to climb back up on. Finally, we reach the cabin again, the four of us shaking ourselves off a little, as Lulu looks at Yuna.

"Are you hurt?" she asks, and Yuna shakes her head.

"No, I'm fine." she replies, Wakka punching the seat in frustration.

"Grrah!" he growls. "Damn those Al Bhed!"

"Ish ebullibody okay?" the driver asks, all of us nodding in response, Yuna standing up again.

"I'm sorry! We're all okay now!"

"Yuna!" Auron says, and Yuna immediately sits back down, chastised.

"Shoopuf, full shpeed aheads!" the driver says, the shoopuf starting to move again, a little faster than it did before, in case of another attack.

Now that I'm back on the shoopuf, I realize just how crazy I just acted. Jumping off the shoopuf, into the water, without a second thought? Just because Yuna was in danger? There may be hope for me yet. But, not right this moment. The dizziness is back.

'_Oh well, it could be worse. Could be motion sickness.' _I tell myself, hoping to relieve some of my fear.

"Damn the Al Bhed!" Wakka suddenly shouts, interrupting my fear-easing talk with myself. "What do they want from us? Could it have something to do with Luca? What are they after Yuna for?" he yells, firing off rapid questions, before he suddenly stops, smacking a fist into his other hand. "Wait! They're mad they lost the tournament! Or, wait! They're mad about Operation Mi'ihen!"

"Uh, Wakka? I don't think it's either of those. Remember, they kidnapped Yuna _before _you guys even started playing that day at Luca, and more than likely, they're still licking their wounds from Mi'ihen." I say, as Lulu stares at the floor for a moment, before looking up at us.

"I wonder...didn't Kimahri's clansmen say something...about summoners...disappearing?" she says, tentatively. Wakka's eyes go wide, and then narrow again, filling with anger once more.

"Ah! So the Al Bhed are behind that! Those sand-blasted grease monkeys!"

"Colorful, Wakka." I say, shaking my head slightly at his continuing raving about the Al Bhed.

"Hey, Wakka. It's no use complaining about the Al Bhed now, right? We'll protect Yuna from anyone, anywhere. It's that easy. That's all I need to know!" Tidus says, trying to calm Wakka down. Wakka thinks a moment, before sitting down again.

"Well...I guess so."

"You're right." Lulu says, and my jaw almost drops in shock. Did Lulu just say Tidus was right? Wow, first time for everything. Yuna mouths 'thank you' to Tidus, who doesn't seem to notice at first, but he smiles, giving a slight nod to Yuna, who smiles back.

* * *

A little while later, maybe another fifteen minutes, and we finally reach the other side of the Moonflow. A similar platform to the one back at the other bank of the Moonflow awaits us, and we all board the platform, myself being first. I'm all to eager to be back on solid ground again.

"Finally! Sweet, merciful, solid, ground!" I exclaim, causing everyone to laugh at me, except Auron. "What? I hate heights!" I protest, causing everyone to laugh harder. Tidus starts to walk off, not noticing the rest of us aren't behind him, and I follow him, hoping to see Rikku okay after the last fight. Tidus walks up to something on the ground, and touches it, causing it to twitch.

"You're...not dead?" he says, jerking back slightly in surprise, as the body stands up and begins to unzip the bodysuit, revealing themselves to indeed, be Rikku.

"Thought I was done for, back there." she says, removing the goggles, and falling to her hands and knees, causing me to walk over to her and help her up.

"You okay?" I ask. She just nods, as Tidus finally realizes who it is.

"Rikku! You're Rikku! Hey! You're okay! How you been?" he says, Rikku looking up at him as he kneels down.

"Terrible!" she says, causing Tidus to look at her closely for a moment.

"Yeah, you don't look so good. What happened?" he asks, as Rikku jabs a finger into both of our chests.

"You two beat me up, remember?" she says, as my eyes go wide in mock surprise.

"That was you? I'm so sorry!" I say, feigning shock and helping her up.

"Oh! That machina...was you?" Tidus says after a moment. Rikku just nods, and stands up, putting a hand to her forehead.

"That really hurt, you know. You big meanie!" she says, giving an annoyed look at Tidus.

"W-Wait! But, you attacked us!" Tidus exclaims, trying to defend us, and not doing a very good job.

"Nuh-uh! It's not exactly what you think." she protests, and I step in between them.

"Can this wait until later?" I say, noticing the group approaching us. Rikku just nods, doing a double-take after a moment at me.

"Ben? Is that you?" she says, and I nod.

"I got some new clothes." I reply, grinning stupidly, and she just laughs, as the group finally walks up to us.

"Yo!" Wakka calls out, walking up to the three of us, looking at Rikku. "Friend of yours?"

"Uh, you could say that." Tidus replies, as Rikku stands up.

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Rikku!" she says, as Tidus turns to the rest of the group.

"Yuna, Lulu...I told you about her, remember? She was the one who helped me before I washed up on Besaid! She's one of the Al Bhe...beh..." Tidus trails off, catching his near-slip just in the nick of time. Fortunately, Wakka doesn't seem to notice it.

"Wow, so you, like, owe her your life? What luck meeting here, ya? Praise be to Yevon!" Wakka says, doing the prayer gesture.

'_Could you be any more oblivious, Wakka?' _I think, resisting the urge to facepalm at the fact that Wakka did not catch Tidus' slip.

"So, uh...Rikku...you look a little beat up! You okay?" he says, Lulu suddenly cutting in.

"Uh, Wakka..."

"Huh? What?" he says, Yuna walking up to him.

"There's something we need to discuss." she replies, Wakka continuing to stand there.

"Oh, go ahead." he says, Rikku walking up to him now.

"Girls only! Boys, please wait over there!" she says, shooing the rest of us away.

"Right. Sorry, Wakka." Lulu says, as the three of them walk slightly away from us, Wakka protesting slightly.

After a minute or two of talking, the three of them walk back up to us. More specifically, Auron.

"Sir Auron..." Yuna says, Auron looking at her after being addressed. "I would like Rikku to be my guardian." Auron says nothing, instead walking up to Rikku, Rikku looking up at the taller guardian.

"Show me your face." he says, causing Rikku to look confused.

"Huh?" she says, and Auron repeats himself.

"Look at me." he says.

"Oh, okay." she replies, closing her eyes as she does so. Auron frowns slightly.

"Open your eyes." he instructs, and Rikku meekly does so, revealing a green eye, with a spiraling pupil. "As I thought."

"Um...no good?" she says, timidly. Auron just continues to look down at her, face never changing.

"Are you certain?" he asks, and her face lights up.

"A hundred percent! So, anyway...can I?" she asks again, causing Auron to turn to Yuna.

"If Yuna wishes it." he says, and Yuna nods.

"Yes, I do." she replies, and Auron looks back at Rikku, before walking away, Wakka giving a small grunt as he leaves.

"Rikku's a good girl! She helped me and Ben a bunch!" Tidus adds, and I just nod slightly, smiling at Rikku.

"Well, I'm for it!" Wakka says, nodding. "The more, the merrier!" Rikku just holds a fist up, excitedly.

"Then I'll just have to be the merriest!" she exclaims, causing me to laugh.

"You are insane. I like you more already." I say, causing her to laugh now. "Well, we better get going towards Guadosalam, shouldn't we?" I ask Yuna, and she nods, as we all start to walk down the path that leads to the underground city.

* * *

Finally, the whole group is together! What's going to happen now that Rikku and Ben are back together? You'll have to keep reading to find out! As always, please review, and see you next chapter!


	19. Chapter 19: Unexpected Developments

Woohoo! Finally, another chapter done! First up, the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Uh, what?

missmanga90: Yup. Surely are.

anbu713: Yep, she's back! And things will get more interesting now, as everything will take a major upswing in plot. The Farplane part, I'm still working out the details on. Unfortunately, every time I think I have the mechanics of souls being sent to the Farplane figured out, it contradicts itself. So, I gotta figure that completely out first. As for what happens between Rikku and Ben, wait till the Thunder Plains. Hehehe...

Iron Reaver: pokes back Uh, yeah. Rather get electrocuted than killed by the dang thing. Ben won't take complete center stage, but he will get his moments to shine. First notable one will be coming up sooner than you think. About the Thunder Plains, yeah. Probably. And antagonate away, you won't get very far.

Feather Black: If you're reading this, welcome to Destiny's Call! Yeah, Ben is basically me. So, how he acts is really the way I act. Personality and action-wise. And that little guy isn't THE fayth, he's just one of them, but he takes center stage a LOT. So, I refer to him as 'the fayth'.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Can't count the number of times I realized something that they SHOULD have caught, but didn't. Drove me nuts. Anyway, thanks!

Jiranto Valsis: Welcome to Destiny's Call as well, Jiranto! And thanks, that really means a lot. I'm trying to do an already great game even greater justice, and it gets hard at times. Description seems to be my strong suit most of the time. And if you want to read more of my work, you can check out FF8: The Shadow Slayer under my profile. That fic is complete, but the first several chapters are kind of lower-end, as I wasn't as good of a writer when I started the fic. It picks up about chapter 7 or so, though.

ArticunoNeo: Thanks! And I just had to yell at Shelinda, she just deserved it way too much.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Thanks for the compliments! I don't think there will be any combination attacks/Overdrives, but Ben will use both his katana and wakizashi in some of his later Overdrives, instead of just a single weapon. And no, I haven't played any of those games, unfortunately.

Well, now that that's done, on to the chapter! Guadosalam awaits!

* * *

Chapter 19—Unexpected Developments

"Fire!" I yell, slaughtering a Bite Bug that has just flown a bit too close to me. If you thought they were annoying in the other FF games, you haven't actually been IN one. They are horrible. Attacking in swarms, but weak as newborn kittens. It's a pretty simple matter to take them down, but the problem is that there's so _many _of them.

"Look out!" Rikku cries, throwing something at a Bunyip fiend in front of me, which explodes and utterly decimates the fiend. I sigh, cutting the head off the last Bite Bug, before turning to Rikku.

"What was that?" I ask, and she smiles.

"Mix. I can make stuff from other items. Potato Masher is what I call the thing I just threw."

"Whoa." I say, smiling.

"Yep!" she chirps happily, as we continue down the path to Guadosalam.

'_Man, she looks cute.' _I think to myself, as we come across the entrance to Guadosalam. At first glance, this thing looks like it was carved out of the base of a giant tree of some sort. As I get closer, that idea seems to become more and more correct. The floor of the entrance area is leaf green, with what looks like roots swirling on the floor, making an intricate design. On the far side, the path slopes down, leading to the underground city itself.

"Whoa. Caverns..." I say, looking down the inclined path.

"Come on, let's go." Auron says, beginning to walk down, and I just shake my head.

"Spoilsport."

* * *

The inside of the city is even more breathtaking than the outside. Split into 3 tiers, the middle of which we're currently standing on, the lower tier leads to the Thunder Plains, while the upper tier leads to the Farplane entrance. At the back of the middle tier is the manor of Lord Jyscal, which is now Seymour's manor, after his father passed away to the Farplane. As we enter, an elderly Guado greets us, looking quite happy to see Yuna.

"We have been expecting you, Lady Yuna. Welcome to Guadosalam. This way, my lady." he says, turning and walking towards Seymour's manor. "This way."

"Me?" Yuna asks, causing Tromell to turn and take Yuna by the hand, but Wakka steps in, blocking the elder Guado with his arm.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he says, and the Guado bows in apology.

"Oh, I beg your pardon. I am called Tromell Guado. I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with Lady Yuna."

'_I'll bet he does.' _I think, resisting the urge to glare.

"Business with me? Whatever could it be, I wonder?" Yuna says, and I resist the urge again to shake my head. She's a little _too _naive for her own good.

"Please, come inside the manor. All will be explained. Of course, your friends are welcome, too." Tromell says, as everyone but myself, Rikku, and Tidus follow Tromell to the manor. As we all stand there, I can't help but glare unconsciously, which causes Rikku to look at me.

"You okay?" she asks, catching me slightly off guard.

"Huh? Oh, me! Yeah...I'm fine. Just don't have a good feeling about this place." I reply, and Rikku turns away for a moment, before snapping her fingers.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Let me show you guys how I can customize weapons and armor!" Rikku says excitedly. I nod, pulling out my katana.

"Think you can customize this?" I ask, and Rikku nods, taking the katana from me.

"What do you want on it?" she says, and I think a minute.

"Sensor would be nice." I say, and she nods again.

"Hand me 2 Ability Spheres." she replies, and I comply, taking the spheres out of my pocket and handing them to her. She takes a small tool out of her pocket, and begins to work on the hilt of my katana. In little more than a minute, the hilt of my katana is now set with the 2 spheres, and I just stand there, amazed.

"How did you...wow. You're awesome!" I say, looking over my katana, and Rikku blushes slightly.

"Aw, it's not that hard, really..." she says, and I laugh.

"Whatever you say, Rikku." I say, putting my hand on her shoulder. "Come on." I tell the two of them, smiling at Rikku, as we walk inside the mansion.

* * *

The inside of the mansion looks much like the outside of the area, color-wise anyway. The inside truly has the atmosphere of an old manor; spiral staircases and doors abound in the place.

"Come on, you three! We've been waiting on you, ya?" Wakka says, and Tromell nods.

"Sorry." I say, apologizing for the three of us.

"This way, please." Tromell instructs us, leading us into what appears to be a banquet hall of some sort. Food covers several tables on the inside of the room, and the wall at the back is covered with a mural of some sort. I resist the urge to walk over and look at it more closely, preferring instead to stay near Rikku, for some reason.

'_Do I...have a crush on her?' _I think, and look over at her for a moment. She _is _cute, there's no denying that.

"I will go inform Lord Seymour. Please wait here." Tromell says, and leaves the room to get Seymour. I almost shudder at the thought of seeing him again.

"Stay on your guard." Auron tells Tidus, who simply looks at him strangely.

"Why?" he asks. "This guy's just a priest, right?" Auron nods, but continues to stare at Tidus.

"Those with power use that power. Maesters have power." he says, and Tidus quirks an eyebrow at him.

"Wait...you sure you don't have something against Yevon?" he says to Auron, who chuckles.

"I lived a long time in Zanarkand." he replies, which causes me to look at him strangely. Dismissing the thoughts, I shake my head, before walking over to Rikku, who is eating something at one of the tables.

"Hey there." I say, a little nervous at being so close to her. Now, I really am sure I have a crush on her. I'm normally not nervous around girls.

"Hey." she replies, eating a small bit of some sort of rice.

"So, what do you think Seymour wants with Yuna?" I ask, trying to make conversation, even though I already know the answer.

"I'm not really sure. I just rejoined you guys, remember?" she says, and I scratch the back of my neck, nervously.

"Yeah, that's right, isn't it." I say, as the door opens again, to reveal Tromell, but no Seymour.

"Truly, it is good to have guests again." Tromell begins, his eyes passing over all of us. "Since Lord Jyscal passed away, these halls have been too quiet."

"The death of Lord Jyscal was a great loss for all of Spira." Yuna says, standing up and clasping her hands.

"Was this Maester Jyscal really such a great guy?" Tidus whispers to Wakka, who starts to whisper back to Tidus.

"He brought the teachings of Yevon to the Guado. He was truly a great man." Wakka says, and Tidus nods, standing back up fully to listen to Tromell.

"Truly, a loss for us all. But now a new leader, Lord Seymour, has come before us. Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a human. He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But that is not all, I think. Lord Seymour...he will surely become the shining star that lights the way for the peoples of Spira." Tromell says, as another figure walks up behind him.

"That is enough, Tromell." Seymour says, walking into the room at last. "Must I always endure such praise?" he tells the elder Guado, before facing us and doing the prayer gesture. "Welcome!" he exclaims, and everyone does the prayer gesture as well.

"You...wanted to see me?" Yuna asks, somewhat shyly.

"Please, make yourselves at home. There's no rush." he says, motioning to some chairs in the room. Auron steps in, though, walking close to Yuna and looking Seymour dead in the eyes.

"Please keep this short. Yuna must rush." he says, voice seemingly as cold as ice.

"Pardon me." Seymour says, apologizing. "It has been a long time since I had guests. Lady Yuna, this way." he says, walking towards the back of the room, which is a large, open area. All of the tables are to the side, instead of in the center. As we all move towards the open area, the room goes dim, almost completely dark, but light enough for us to see where we're walking. Suddenly, the surroundings change to that of Zanarkand, as it was a thousand years ago. Everyone gasps, and Yuna puts a hand over her mouth, apparently awed by the majestic city.

"This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead on the Farplane." Seymour explains, as Tidus finally finds the coherence to say something.

"Zanarakand!" he exclaims, shocked.

"Correct. Zanarkand...as it looked one thousand years ago." Seymour continues, and everyone looks around at the surroundings. It's a perfect reconstruction, looking exactly as the machina city did when I fell into it at the start of this adventure. People walking along the streets, enormous buildings rising into the sky, even the announcer of the blitzball stadium can be heard in the background.

"The great and wondrous machina city, Zanarkand. She once lived in this metropolis." Seymour says, and Auron smirks, though I'm the only one who notices.

"She, who?" Yuna asks, and the scene changes, to a large, decorated room, where a woman with long, white hair, and dressed in a bikini of some sort, is sitting on a bed. Yuna gasps again, apparently recognizing the woman.

"Lady Yunalesca!" she exclaims, and Seymour nods.

"She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from its ravages. And you have inherited her name." he says, as Yuna just looks at him.

"It was my father who named me." Yuna explains, and Seymour nods once more.

"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task. He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did. However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone. To defeat the undefeatable Sin..." Seymour says, doing the prayer gesture, "It took an unbreakable bond of love—of the kind that binds two hearts for eternity."

Seymour starts to walk closer to Yuna, as the scene continues. A man, in an elaborate outfit, and wearing a large, golden crown, walks into the room. Yunalesca stands up, hugging the man, apparently her lover. As the two of them embrace, Seymour and Yuna look at each other, neither of them saying a word. Yuna breaks the stare, returning to watch Yunalesca and her lover, as Seymour leans over and whispers something in Yuna's ear. It must've shocked Yuna, because she covers her mouth with her hand, gasping. Seymour backs away slowly, nodding at Yuna, as the scene disappears. Yuna finally turns, approaching the rest of us, but instead, she turns and grabs a small glass of water, gulping it down quickly. As she finishes drinking, she breaths a sigh of relief, before we all go to meet her.

"Wow! Your face is beet red!" Rikku says, and I nod, noticing the severe blush that has crept onto Yuna's cheeks.

"You okay?" Tidus asks, and Yuna just continues to fumble around with her words, moving her gaze from one of us to another.

"He...he asked me to marry him!" she says, finally, causing everyone's eyes to go wide.

"You serious?" Tidus asks, as Auron moves to talk to Seymour.

"You know what Yuna must do." he says, and Seymour nods.

"Of course. Lady Yuna—no, all summoners—are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more than just defeating Sin. She must ease the suffering of all Spira. She must be a leader for the people. I proposed to Lady Yuna as a Maester of Yevon." Seymour explains, and Auron just crosses his arms.

"Spira is no playhouse. A moment's diversion may amuse the audience, but it changes nothing." he says, and Seymour smirks, causing me to cringe.

"Even so, the actors must play their parts." he says.

'_More like puppets, you mean.' _I think, angrily.

Seymour stays silent for a few moments, before walking over to Yuna. "There's no need to answer right away. Please, think it over." he says, and Auron nods.

"We will do so, then. We leave." he says simply, motioning for us to exit.

"Lady Yuna, I await your favorable reply." he says, as we all turn to leave. Suddenly, Seymour speaks up again.

"Why are you still here, sir?" he says, and Auron stops, turning to look at him. Seymour bows, a slight smile on his face that creeps me out. "I beg your pardon. We Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane." he replies, and Tidus walks up to Auron, beginning to sniff him. I almost laugh as Auron shoves the smaller teen away, and walks out the door, closely followed by the both of us.

'_Can't believe no one caught that one...' _I think, amused by Seymour's words.

* * *

As we exit the manor, everyone seems to be silent, perhaps stunned, or perhaps just waiting for someone else to speak first. Finally, Lulu decides to speak.

"Yuna, the High Summoner's daughter. Seymour, the leader of the Guado. Married in the name of Yevon, overcoming the barriers of race. It would give Spira something cheery to talk about, for a change." Lulu says, crossing her arms.

"Sounds just like a passin' daydream, like Auron says. Wakka says, and I look at everyone.

"I gotta agree with them, Yuna. Do you really think this is the right thing to do?" I ask, and Tidus decides to take his turn to speak.

"Come on, let's just get on with the pilgrimage! I mean, marriage?" Tidus says, and Rikku nudges him in the side.

"Hmm. Jealous?" Rikku says, trying to antagonize Tidus. Tidus just glares at Rikku.

"What? No way! We gotta defeat Sin. Romance can wait!" he exclaims, somewhat embarassed by Rikku's accusation.

"He sure picked a fine time to lay this one on us." Wakka mutters, crossing his arms.

"Maybe it is a fine time." Yuna says, finally speaking up, causing everyone to look at her.

"You serious?" Tidus asks, and Yuna looks at him.

"If my getting married would help Spira...if it would make people happy...if I could do that for people...maybe I should do what I can." Yuna says after a moment. "I never imagined doing anything like this. But, I won't answer till I know what's right."

"Seriously?" Tidus says, and Yuna nods.

"You could always quit your pilgrimage and get married." Rikku says, but Yuna shakes her head.

"I will...go on. I'm sure that Lord Seymour will understand." she replies, and Rikku, looks down for a moment.

"Umm, I guess so..." she mumbles, as Yuna looks at everyone again.

"I am a summoner! I must fight and defeat Sin."

"Like Braska before you." Auron says, and Yuna nods, turning to him with a smile.

"I'm going to the Farplane. I'm going to see my father and think on this." she says, turning to walk onto the upper tier.

"Go on, we'll be right behind you." Lulu says, and Yuna nods, as we all walk towards the upper tier.

"This will be neat. I've never been to the Farplane before..." I mumble to myself, as we walk along the upper tier.

As we arrive at the Farplane entrance, the first thing I notice is that it reminds me of something out of a Star Trek episode. The entrance is a large, glowing blue portal, easily 12 or 15 feet tall, surrounded by the glowing pyreflies.

"Question!" Tidus says, as we stop in front of the portal. "About this Farplane...when somebody dies, a summoner sends them to the Farplane, right? So their souls, or whatever they are, they go to the Farplane, right? But that's the Farplane we're going to, right? And Yuna's old man's there, too? Do dead people live there or something?" he asks, shivering at the last sentence.

"You're thinking those funny thoughts again, ya?" Wakka says, causing Tidus to laugh and scratch the back of his head. "You'll see once we get there." he finishes, as we all start to walk up the stone steps to the portal. Auron stays behind, though, causing Tidus to turn to face him.

"Aren't you coming?" he asks, and Auron shakes his head.

"I do not belong there." he replies, and Tidus puts a hand on his hip.

"You're scared!" he retorts, Auron just standing there in response.

"Searching the past to find the future...this is all that is there. I need it not. You'd better be going." he says, as Rikku walks up to us, having lagged behind as we were walking.

"You're not really going to see the dead, more like your memories of them. People think of their relatives and the pyreflies react to them. They take on the form of the dead person—an illusion, nothing else." she says, and Tidus puts a hand on his chin, thinking.

"Still, it's sometimes worth it for the chance to see a loved one once again. Even if it is nothing more than a memory." I say, looking solemnly at Rikku.

"I keep my memories inside." she replies, standing over with Auron.

"You're not going either?" Tidus asks, and Rikku nods.

"Memories are nice, but that's all they are." she says, shrugging slightly. I just nod, as Tidus taps the portal before walking in. Sighing, I follow him and the rest of the group through the portal, not sure what to expect on the other side.

* * *

And now it starts! Ben has a crush on Rikku, Seymour plans to marry Yuna, and everything is deciding to go topsy-turvy for the group. What will happen in the Farplane? You'll just have to keep reading to find out! As always, please review!


	20. Chapter 20: Illusions And Confidants

Well, the only thing I can say to explain 2 chapters, one right after the other, is this. I got inspired.

Iron Reaver: Okay, in order of questions. First, read to find out just what I see. Second, yes. It does. Third, I haven't decided yet what else I will get, in the way of customization. 3 more abilities to pick. Fourth, no, I will be keeping this sword. It's mine, and I can't bear to part with it. Fifth, I haven't written the outtakes for this yet,now, have I? (smirk)

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Thanks. Seymour will die in a few chapters. Heh heh heh...

Jiranto Valsis: Thanks, I'm trying to make it good. There will be some subtlety, and then some not-so-subtle things in this chapter. Read on to find out. And, thanks for checking out Shadow Slayer, it's not my best work, but I'm still proud of it. I may rewrite the first several chapters to make them better, but have no plans as of this moment. No offense taken, by the way. I don't think it's as good as this one either, to tell the truth.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Yes, the romance continues this chapter, as well. An FF8 version of this...hmm...dunno. I have done a continuation of the FF8 plot in FF8: The Shadow Slayer, but not a self-insertion. I left a review for your story, by the way.

anbu713: Oh yes. Not just the Thunder Plains, either. (smiles evilly) Read on, read on...I checked out your story, but haven't left a review yet. A helpful tip, would be to replay the game, or find a script. Either of those would help. As for Ben and Seymour, just wait till Macalania Temple. Seymour's the Maester there, remember? (another evil smile)

Now, on to the chapter, and embarra...I mean, more story activity! Yes, that's it...(runs off quickly)

* * *

Chapter 20—Illusions and Confidants

"What the...?" is the first thing Tidus says upon entering the Farplane, and I think that pretty much sums it up.

The Farplane is _amazing_. Beautiful beyond belief, even. A stone platform, which we're standing on, is extending above a half-oval shaped waterfall, or series of waterfalls, in the middle of which is a gorgeous field of flowers. All different varieties adorn the empty space below the platform, and I have to refrain from gasping in shock. In the far distance, several pillars of water are rising into the sky, with a full moon in the center, seeming to oversee everything in the area and the great beyond.

After I get over the initial shock of entering, I notice that everyone has walked to a different section, and began to talk with the visions of their friends and family. Looking around, I notice Wakka and Lulu looking at an image of Wakka's brother, Chappu, while Yuna is looking at her father, Lord Braska. Kimahri is just standing around, as are Tidus and I for the moment. Tidus walks over to talk to Wakka, as I walk to the distant edge of the Farplane.

"I hope this works..." I think to myself, before closing my eyes and concentrating. I remember it works by memories, so I decide to try something that might work. When I open my eyes, I smile quite possibly one of the biggest smiles that I've smiled since being here. Floating in front of me is the image of a girl with long brown hair, almost down to her waist. Brown eyes, and a pair of earrings that reach to her shoulders are also present. She's garbed in a blue tank top and black miniskirt, with a ruffled piece of light blue cloth attached to the left side of the shirt, stretching down to her knees. Her forearms are covered by a ruffled piece of bluish-purple fabric, and black bands criss-cross her upper arms, from the shoulder to the elbow. A pair of knee length, brown boots completes the outfit, and I continue to smile, realizing that my idea worked.

"Lenne..." I say, as Tidus begins to walk up behind me. "So, you really are on the Farplane...I just wanted to say don't worry. We'll stop Shuyin when the time comes."

"Who's that?" Tidus says, interrupting my musing. I just turn around, smiling still.

"Don't worry. You'll know when the time comes." I say, and he just continues to stare at me, puzzled.

"What do you mean, 'when the time comes'?" he asks, and I try not to facepalm, instead opting to smirk evilly instead.

"Trust me. You'll know." I say, letting Lenne's image dispel itself, as I walk over to Yuna.

"So, Yuna? Have you decided yet?" I ask, as Tidus follows behind me. Yuna turns to the both of us, before nodding.

"I've decided." she says, and Tidus walks up beside me, crossing his arms.

"Oh, really? That's good." he says, as Yuna hangs her head.

I can almost hear him thinking, _'Please say no, please say no...'_, right about now, too. It's pretty funny.

"I remember, when I was seven years old, in Bevelle that day. My father had defeated Sin, and the whole town was out in the streets. Everyone was laughing, they all seemed so happy." she explains, looking back up at us. "If I defeated Sin, that would make everyone happy...wouldn't it? I must do what everyone wants, not just what I want."

Tidus seems excited now, I think he has the wrong idea about what Yuna's going to say. "Let's go back! You gotta tell Seymour!" he says, but Yuna stops him.

"Before that...call Sir Jecht. Give it a try." she says, and Tidus looks at her as if she were crazy. "Don't worry. He won't come."

Tidus looks kind of hesitant, but he also looks deep in thought right now. After a moment, Yuna smiles, turning back to Tidus. "See, told you!" she says, giggling. "That means he's alive, you know?" Tidus just looks down, a somewhat angry expression on his face.

"I'd rather never see him again." he says, causing Yuna to look confused.

"What makes you hate him so?" Yuna asks, and I turn to Tidus, in anticipation of an explanation myself.

"Everything he does just makes me so mad. It was his fault that me and my mother..." Tidus says, trailing off as he looks up, to see an image of a woman floating there, apparently his mother. "Mom? It's her!" he says, gasping.

"She's very pretty." Yuna says, as the three of us stay silent for a moment.

"But...wait. No one ever performed the sending for her." Tidus says, looking at the two of us.

"She must've accepted death while she was still alive." Yuna replies, causing my eyes to go wide. I didn't think Yuna could be so...blunt...with something like that.

"Whoa there, that's my mother you're talking about." Tidus says, looking at Yuna with a mix of a glare and a stern face.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Yuna says, a hand flying to her mouth as she realizes what she just said.

"It's okay." Tidus says, a hand going to his chin as he starts to think. "Ah. I think I just figured something out." he replies, looking back up at his mother's image.

"That would be?" I ask.

"Why I hate my old man." Tidus begins. "Whenever my old man was around, my mother wouldn't even look at me. Maybe that's when I started to resent him, even hate him. When he left us...Mom just lost her energy." he explains, and I look down, understanding how he feels. "The old lady next door told me...when a lovebird dies, the one left behind...it just gives up living so it can join its mate. It was just like that. I hated my old man even more." he continues, and I walk closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, man, I've been there. It's not easy."

"But really, my old man..." Tidus trails off, finally getting back in control of his feelings. "Oh, man...I must sound so stupid."

"I don't think so." Yuna says, trying to ease Tidus' mind.

"Neither do I. You've obviously been through a lot. It's normal." I say, offering some helpful words as well, as Wakka, Kimahri, and Lulu approach us.

"Well? Need some more time?" he asks Yuna, who turns around to look at him, shaking her head.

"No, I'm ready."

"Did I miss something?" Lulu asks, earning a laugh from me and Tidus, who scratches the back of his head, as we exit the Farplane, heading back to the world of the living at last.

* * *

As we exit the portal, Rikku and Auron are still standing there, apparently having waited on us since we entered. 

"Thanks for waiting!" Yuna says, turning to the duo. "I'll go give my answer to Maester Seymour." Suddenly, several Guado gasp in shock, and point to the Farplane portal. Turning around, we notice a ghostly image of a Guado, beginning to exit the portal. As it tries to escape, everyone backs away.

"Lord Jyscal!"

"Lord Jyscal!" several people exclaim, backing away from the unsent spirit. The spirit of Jyscal just moans, continuing to shuffle out of the portal, looking remarkably like a zombie. Auron looks at Yuna.

"It does not belong here." he says, and Yuna turns to face him again.

"Why?"

"Yuna, send him." he instructs, and Yuna nods, beginning to walk up the steps to the portal, as Auron grunts and falls to his knees in pain. I'm the only one who notices, as everyone else is focused intently on Jyscal, who is now facing Yuna.

"Lord Jyscal..." she says softly, as Lulu looks up at her.

"He is Lord Jyscal no more. Send him now!" she says, quickly.

Yuna nods, and proceeds to send the unsent, who turns into pyreflies and vanishes, but not before leaving a small, blue sphere on the ground. Yuna picks it up, as Auron stands and speaks.

"Talk later. We leave now." he says, beginning to walk back down the tunnel leading to the middle tier.

"Wh-What was that just now?" Wakka asks, pointing a thumb back over his shoulder at the portal. "That really Lord Jyscal?"

"I don't understand how a man like Lord Jyscal could die and not be sent." Yuna says, and I decide to speak up as well.

"Yeah, don't they make it a rule to always send authority figures?" I ask, and Lulu nods her head.

"I would think he was sent once...but he stayed on Spira. Something, a powerful emotion, could have bound him to this world. Such things happen." she replies, and I shudder. The dead tormenting the living, something I thought I would never see, or hear, in my lifetime.

"That's against the rules, isn't it?" Rikku says, and Auron turns to her, face solemn as always.

"It means he died an unclean death." he says, as we approach the manor doors.

"I will go...meet with Maester Seymour." Yuna says, turning to walk in the doors, as Auron says something to her.

"Yuna! Jyscal is the Guado's problem, not yours." he yells, but Yuna ignores him, entering the manor. As the doors close, everyone walks off in different directions. Tidus goes with Lulu, though, and so I decide to go with Rikku. I have some things to ask her anyway.

"Rikku, wait up!" I say, causing her to turn to me.

"Oh, Ben! What do you need?" she asks, and I smile.

"Just want to talk." I reply, as we walk towards a shop on the lower tier. "So, what do you think about Yuna being proposed to by Seymour?" I ask Rikku, who gives me a strange look.

"I don't know, really. It's all fine with me if Yunie wants to get married, but something about that guy just gives me the willies." she says, shivering as she says the last part for emphasis. I laugh, shaking my head.

"Yeah, same here. There's something I wanted to ask you." I tell her, causing her to look at me again.

"Sure, what is it?" she says.

"Do you think that you could teach me how to speak Al Bhed? I'm already fluent in another language, but knowing how to speak another while I'm here can't hurt." I ask her, and she smiles.

"Of course I can! You've come to the right person!" she says, and I laugh.

"I sure hope so, considering you're an Al Bhed and all." I reply, still laughing. Rikku joins in after a moment, and I just shake my head. "Come on, let's get back to the manor. Yuna must've told Seymour by now, don't you think?"

"Yeah." she says, nodding, and so the two of us begin to walk back to the manor.

* * *

As we approach, we notice Lulu and Tidus standing there, apparently continuing a conversation that we missed the first part of. 

"If she is to marry, I would want her to marry for love." Lulu says, and Tidus crosses his arms.

"See?"

"But..." Lulu continues, "If Yuna said she wanted to marry the one she loved, I would have to object."

"Huh?" Tidus says, now thoroughly confused. "You're not making much sense." I have to stifle a laugh at this point. Poor Tidus, he just doesn't get it. At all.

"I know." Lulu says, and Tidus just looks at her strangely.

"Lulu..."

"I've talked enough about that." she says suddenly, cutting him off.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. Just forget about it." she says, beginning to walk off.

"Geez! Grumpy!" Tidus responds, seemingly trying to pester Lulu into explaining. Doesn't seem to be working, though.

"You'll understand one of these days. I just don't want to give it words. Not yet." she says, walking away a small distance, before turning back to Tidus.

"I shouldn't have to say this, but don't fall in love with her." Lulu says, and Tidus gives a small smile.

"Too late." he says, and Lulu just shakes her head, walking off again.

"Ah-ha! So, you do have feelings for Yuna!" I say, seeing a perfect opportunity to tease him.

"So? I could say the same for you about Rikku!" he retorts, causing my eyes to go wide, as well as Rikku's.

"But...what...how the...how do you know that?" I stammer, completely shocked that Tidus figured it out.

"Oh, come on! I'm not _that _stupid! I could tell by the way you look at her." he says, and I turn to Rikku.

"Is that true?" she asks, after a moment. I'm still a little shocked by the fact that _Tidus _of all people was the first to notice, but I slowly nod.

"Yeah, it's true. I do like you, Rikku. I think you're cute, and funny, and..." I trail off at this, rubbing the back of my head now. "Yeah...I'm really not good at this..." I say, starting to walk away, completely embarrassed now. Before I take more than five steps, though, I'm stopped by a hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I find myself looking face to face with Rikku.

"Well, I like you too. I never could figure out how to tell you, either." she says, and I smile.

"Guess I'm not the only one who has trouble admitting their feelings, huh?" I say, causing her to laugh.

"Guess not!" she says, giggling. Laughing, I take her by the hand, walking back over to the manor.

"Heh, who would have thought? Me and you together? They say opposites attract, but we're almost the same!" I say, still laughing, which causes her to laugh harder. After a moment, I stop laughing, noticing that Tidus left while me and Rikku were talking.

"Hey, where'd he go?" I ask, and Rikku shrugs.

"Beats me." she says, and I look around a little, finally spotting his blond hair near the tunnel leading to the Thunder Plains. He also appears to be talking to...

"Shelinda? Aw, no..." I moan, and Rikku just laughs.

"Problems?" she asks, and I nod.

"I do not like her...even worse than Seymour." I tell Rikku, as we walk over to her, once again holding hands.

"My...was the lady Summoner not with you?" Shelinda asks Tidus, as they both notice us approach.

"Hey there, lovebirds!" Tidus says, before turning back to Shelinda. "No, she's at Seymour's place." he says to her, causing her to frown slightly.

"That's 'Maester Seymour', or 'Lord Seymour.' she replies, before smiling at us. If I could see my face in a mirror right now, I'm pretty sure I would be blushing a furious shade of red right now. Rikku doesn't seem to care, though.

"Oh, I'll be careful. Sorry." Tidus says, and I just shake my head.

'_I will never call Seymour 'Lord' or 'Maester', as long as I can still breathe.' _I think to myself.

"That's all right." Shelinda says, clasping her hands in front of her. "Maester Seymour left Guadosalam a short while ago."

"You serious?" Tidus says, crossing his arms.

"I believe he went to the temple in Macalania." Shelinda says, nodding. "Maester Seymour is also the high priest of that temple." Tidus' eyes go wide at this, as do Rikku's. I already knew, so I remain calm at this, though I think my eye does twitch a little.

"Whoa, I gotta tell the others!" Tidus says, waving a quick goodbye to Shelinda, before running back towards the manor, the two of us following. Everyone has gathered back at the manor entrance again, so we don't have to hunt them all down. Luckily for us.

"Hey, Shelinda said that Seymour's gone! So, what's Yuna doing in the manor?" Tidus says.

"She's probably looking for Seymour now." I say, turning to the group.

"Okay then. We find Yuna, then we leave for Macalania." Auron says, walking inside the manor. As we walk inside, we almost immediately find Yuna, looking at a picture of Lord Jyscal, which is mounted on the wall between two doors. Rikku is the first to run up to her.

"Lord Jyscal, please tell me. What can I do to help?" Yuna says, apparently talking to the picture.

"Yuna, lets go!" Rikku says quickly, causing Yuna to nod. She does the prayer gesture to the portrait, before turning and following us out of the manor.

* * *

"They say Seymour went to Macarena Temple." Tidus says, as we leave the manor. 

"_Macalania _Temple." Wakka and I say simultaneously.

"Aye." Tidus replies, as Wakka speaks again.

"What I don't get is...why would the lord maester head off without a peep to anyone?" he asks, causing Rikku to shrug.

"Maybe he wasn't expecting Yuna's answer so soon." she replies, causing Wakka to nod.

"Ah, that's probably it." Wakka says, causing Yuna to laugh.

"Yuna, what is it?" Auron asks, and Yuna stops laughing, turning to the monk.

"Oh, nothing." she says, smiling. Auron, apparently, doesn't believe her. I can say the same. Smiling, from someone like Yuna, usually isn't a good thing.

"Hmm...you're a poor liar." he says after a moment, and Yuna's eyes widen.

"It's true. It's nothing!" she says, slightly indignant now. No one says anything, and Yuna's face goes back to normal, as she realizes no one is going to push the matter. "Come on, let's go." she says, walking towards the path that leads to the Thunder Plains. As we're walking, I feel Rikku grab my hand, and I smile. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy the rest of my time here in Spira.

* * *

Oh yes, I will enjoy the rest of this immensely. Ben and Rikku are now officially a couple, and Tidus has revealed his feelings for Yuna as well. Although, she wasn't around to hear it...unlike Rikku. Hope you caught the X-2 allusion, as well! There will be more, so look for them. Anyway, please review! 


	21. Chapter 21: Yevon

Well, after another week, another chapter is out! And now, the reviews!

Iron Reaver: Innocent, you say? Sure. Rikku's 15, you expected...what, exactly? Anyway. Actually, yes. 2 shown this chapter, as well as one for Tidus. Don't worry, everyone else's show up soon.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Hmmk. Whatever you say.

anbu713: Well, Tidus is stupid, but not as stupid as Wakka. Plus, it just kinda fit right in. And yes, I did update quicker than normal, after writing the Farplane scene I got inspired.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Thanks. I hadn't actually intended to make Ben and Rikku a couple just yet, but as soon as I saw one of Tidus' lines, I just couldn't resist doing it. And adding some self-humiliation in as well.

ArticunoNeo: Actually, yes, Yuna does say that. Kinda hard to imagine poor, naive Yuna saying something so...bluntly. But there ya go.

Fic-luva: Hey, and welcome to Destiny's Call! Sorry to hear you decided not to write one, but glad you're reading mine. Hope it doesn't disappoint!

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Hehe, he will. Shortly. Maybe, 2-3 more chapters till the temple. And I didn't know it was just a beta version. I'll be intrigued to see the Buffy/DB crossover, that seems interesting, even if I haven't seen Buffy that much. An FF8 SI would in an interesting thought, I'm tempted to do one myself, but this one is hard enough.Dunno about a double spell attack or anything like that, the closest I can think of that I have planned is his final finishing move. There will be a very interesting move showing up later, assuming I can think up a decent name.

Jiranto Valsis: I sent you an e-mail detailing part of my response, so I'll just sum it up here. I hadn't originally planned to make them a couple as of yet, but after I saw one of Tidus' lines at Guadosalam, I just could not help but write that part. As well as humiliate myself, as I said above.

missmanga90: It's okay, and thanks.

Now, without further delay, on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 21—Yevon's Unity 

"Oh no...we're here." Rikku says, as we approach the end of the short trail leading out into the Thunder Plains. The whole area is one big, black storm cloud, making it appear more dusk than daylight. Lightning strikes occasionally, some hitting the lightning rod towers scattered around the area, but some hitting the ground itself.

"It'll be okay. We're gonna get through here quick." I tell Rikku, hoping to comfort her some. The look she gives the area, combined with the cringe after another bolt hits, tells me this won't be an easy feat.

"How are we supposed to cross that?" Tidus asks Lulu.

"See the lightning rod towers?" she replies, pointing. "The lightning is drawn to them...hopefully."

"That's comforting..." I say, starting to hate this area a little myself.

"We head north, not too near and not too far from the towers, ya?" Wakka says, Lulu turning to everyone again.

"Meaning we should avoid wide, open areas." she says, just as thunder roars again, and a lightning bolt strikes the ground a few hundred meters from us, causing Rikku to let out a short cry and cower.

"I think I forgot something in Guadosalam." she says, turning back to the path.

"Nice knowing you." Auron says, and I almost laugh, but decide against it.

"Okay, okay! I'll go!" she replies, and we take our first step out onto the plains.

I've always hated lightning storms, and this area just seems to be one big lightning storm. So, it's no surprise that I'm more annoyed than scared. The thunder is so loud, and so often, that I can barely hear myself think. The fact that Rikku has my upper arm in a death grip as well doesn't help.

"I don't like this, I don't like this, I don't like this at ALL..." she mutters, walking along side me, clinging to my arm tightly.

"Rikku, I promise, it's going to be..."

I'm abruptly cut off by a lightning bolt striking the ground, about 10 meters from us. Rikku screams, and grabs onto my side, burying her face into my shoulder. The only thing I can do is somewhat hug her back, and try to comfort her.

"I really think we should hit the next tower now..." I say, running to the next tower. Everyone else is either beside or in front of me. As we approach, I see the one thing that just completely kills my day.

"Ah, good day!" Shelinda says, doing the prayer gesture.

"Hi there." Tidus replies, as we approach her.

"Is it true?" Shelinda asks, turning to Tidus. "I heard that Maester Seymour and Lady Yuna are to be wed! It's such great news! I have to tell everyone!"

I can almost see Tidus' eye twitching at that statement, as he speaks again.

"Where'd you hear that?" he asks.

"From the Guado. They were all very excited!" she replies, and I think I do see Tidus' eye twitch this time.

"I'm afraid you heard a little wrong. Yuna's gonna turn him down." he says, and I look over at Yuna, who remains silent.

"Oh, really?" Shelinda says, sounding a little disappointed.

"Yep! No wedding!" Tidus replies, a little too eagerly if you ask me. Shelinda's face falls even more, as she speaks.

"I see...that's unfortunate. People would've rejoiced all over Spira." she says, sighing. Nodding, we walk past her, continuing on down the plains.

* * *

After a few minutes, we seem to be almost at the end of the first stretch. I can see a building in the distance, so that's a good sign. Suddenly, two lightning bolts strike the tower in front of us at once, causing Tidus and Yuna to gasp, and Wakka to laugh. Rikku just clenches onto my arm even tighter. 

"Whoa! That was a close one!" Wakka says, laughing, as Lulu turns to him.

"Stop kidding around." she says, and Wakka quits laughing.

"Yes, ma'am..."

"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh..."

Turning to Rikku, I look at her oddly. "Something wrong, Rikku?" I ask, and Rikku just continues to laugh, nervously. "Ok, that's really starting to creep me out..." I say, as another bolt of lightning strikes a tower. Rikku screams, and falls to her knees, covering her eyes. Suddenly, she grabs onto both of my legs, looking up at me.

"I wanna go home! I hate lightning! I hate thunder! Let's go rest over there! Please?" she says, pointing to the building nearby.

"This storm never stops. Better to cross quickly." Auron says, before I can say anything. Rikku lets go of my legs and stands up, looking at Auron.

"I know, but...just for a little while?"

"Heh, well? What now?" Tidus says, and Auron just sighs, as we continue to walk towards the building. As we approach, and near the front door, Rikku stops, causing me to stop as well.

"Pretty please? Just a few minutes?" she asks, everyone ignoring her and continuing to walk. "I'm scared of lightning! Let's rest, please? Pretty please? I'm too young to die!" she continues, and everyone continues to walk, ignoring her still.

"It's okay, Rikku. We'll be fine." I tell her, but she ignores me.

"You're mean...cruel! Your moms would be ashamed of you!" she says, as the group walks down a hill, almost out of sight. After a moment, they walk back towards us. "Are you having fun doing this to me?" she asks, and Auron sighs again.

"Fine, we rest. She's worse than the storm." he says, and I can almost see Rikku relax, walking inside the building, which appears to be another of Rin's travel agencies. Walking inside, Yuna walks up to the desk, and talks to the clerk, while all of us stand aside.

"Thank you." Yuna says, before walking down the hall.

"Uh, Yuna?" Wakka says, looking at the summoner walk into her room.

"It's not like her." Lulu says, causing me to look at the group.

"You're right. It's not like her. Something's wrong." I tell them, only somewhat noticing that Tidus has walked down the hall, and is now listening, ear to door, to Yuna's room. Suddenly, I hear a yelp, and laugh, noticing Tidus fall completely into Yuna's room.

"I got it, I got it." I tell the group, chuckling the whole way down the hall.

"I...well...it's nothing, really. I...I just, uh..." Tidus stammers, as Yuna stands up and turns the sphere that she was watching off. Tidus doesn't see me standing behind him, but Yuna does. She doesn't say anything, however. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have come in. H-Hey! Wasn't that that Jyscal Guado guy?" Tidus asks, looking at the sphere. Yuna just nods, looking around the room.

"The sphere is his will...it says, "Take care of my son."

Tidus looks confused for a moment. "His son...? Seymour?" he asks, and Yuna nods. "Well, I know one way to take care of him." It's all I can do to not laugh and blow my hiding right there.

"I'm sorry." Yuna says, and walks towards the doorway of the room. I move quickly, so that Tidus can't see me, as Yuna exits. I give a slight grin, before noticing Tidus walk up and examine the sphere. I creep up behind him, unsheathing my sword, and slowly placing it beside his neck. Tapping him on the shoulder, Tidus turns...to meet the blade of my sword, directly below his chin.

"If I had been a fiend, you would be missing your head right now." I say calmly, and the look on Tidus' face is priceless. "What were you doing, anyway?" I finish, sheathing the sword again.

"Yuna...Yuna was acting funny, s-so..." he stutters, and I hold up a hand.

"That's her business. Not ours. Now, let's go." I say, my voice carrying no emotion. Tidus glances back at the sphere, then back at me, before slowly nodding and following me back to the main hall.

"It's not stopping, is it?" Rikku asks Auron, as we re-enter the main area.

"Don't tell me you were hoping it would." Auron says, staring more at the door than Rikku. Another bolt of lightning strikes, and Rikku shrieks, falling to the ground. "Fine. Stay here." Auron says, walking out the door as I walk over to Rikku, letting her grab onto my shoulder once again.

"All right, already." she says, seemingly talking to no one in particular, as Auron has just exited. "But! You didn't have to say it like that, you know? You could be more comforting or something! You know, try to cheer me up? You just don't get me at all, do you?" she continues, finally noticing Auron has left. "Hey! Are you listening?" she says, walking to the door and yelling through it. Yet another bolt cracks across the sky, and Rikku huddles a little, shaking, but doesn't scream. "I'm not scared! I'm not scared, you hear!" she yells, obviously trying to talk to the thunder and lightning. Shaking my head, I walk over and nod at her, causing her to smile slightly, then cringe as another peal of thunder rumbles across the air. Looking at Yuna, she nods, and we all exit the building, heading towards the second half of the Thunder Plains.

* * *

The rest of the trip is pretty uneventful, a few random fiend battles, and such, until something bad shows up. Namely, a trio of Iron Giant fiends. This...will not be pretty. 

"Uh oh..." I say, noticing the fiends approaching us. Thinking a moment, I try to remember what I know about Iron Giants. Special move is a jumping, downward strike, and they are very strong. As well as resilient. "Oh boy." I mutter, as we all drop into attack stances. Lulu takes the first move.

"Thundara!" she yells, casting the second tier Black Magic on the first fiend. It staggers a little with the hit, but stays on its feet, and rushes us, swinging the massive sword across. Everyone ducks, just in time to see the second fiend leap into the air, and down at Yuna. Yuna screams, before getting knocked out of the way by Tidus.

"Haste!" I cry, using the magic on myself, before thinking a moment, and calling another spell. "Slow!" This magic slows the first Iron Giant considerably, but the third has other plans. Running at me, surprisingly quick for short, armored legs, the fiend swings downward, and I roll out of the way, unsheathing my wakizashi as well to help. Charging the fiend, I slash at the armor plating, but it only leaves small scratch marks. Giving what I think is the fiend equivalent of a laugh, the thing swats me away, as the second fiend hits Wakka.

"Take this!" Tidus exclaims, before he charges the fiends, slashing once, then twice on the first, then twice on the second, and twice more on the third, with his Slice and Dice Overdrive.

"I'm summoning!" I hear Yuna yell, and everyone stands back, as she begins to summon Valefor, except the pattern below her is glowing more brightly than usual.

"That must be Grand Summon..." I say, dodging another strike from the first Giant before retreating.

"Energy Ray!" I hear Yuna yell, and Valefor flies up, launching the beam of power at the three fiends, knocking them back with scorch marks on their armor. After a moment, the fiends decide to gang up on Valefor, and despite the aeon's best efforts, it goes down, dissipating away.

"We need more power! Renzokuken!" I yell, charging the third fiend with both swords drawn, slashing away eight times before jumping back. Smiling, I notice not one, but two new finishing moves. One I recognize, and one I don't.

"Fated Circle!" I cry, sheathing the wakizashi and jumping into the air, bringing the katana close to me and spinning around, before launching a white, disc shaped energy beam at the trio, striking all three of them, and knocking them back again.

"Man, these things are tough!" Wakka says, looking over at Lulu, who has been pelting the trio with second tier magic. Kneeling down, she tries to catch her breath, exhausted from the continuous use. Rikku moves close to the fiends, her fear temporarily forgotten, before she turns around, and then looks back at them, hurling something at them, which causes a chain reaction of Blizzard spells to go off, 2 or 3 on each of them.

"Power Break!" Auron cries, running up and slashing the first fiend once again, the thing finally falling down, and bursting into pyreflies. The other two fiends roar, and jump into the air, bringing both swords down on Auron, knocking him out instantly.

"Auron!" I yell, now even more angered at the fiends. Wakka quickly runs over, digging in his pockets for a Phoenix Down, as I turn back to the trio of Iron Giants. Growling, I unsheathe the wakizashi yet again, and go into another Renzokuken, targeting the second fiend now. After 6 slashes, I back off, and use the other finishing move I have learned.

"Phase Shift!" I bellow, as my body suddenly goes transparent, somewhat like the Hero items from FF8. Glaring at the second fiend, I run up, and bounce off the ground, jumping up and almost through its head in my transparent state, landing on the other side, as I become physical again. The fiend turns, and its head falls right off its body, the body falling and exploding into pyreflies a moment later. Now, there's only the third fiend to deal with.

"Come forth, Ixion!" Yuna cries, and everyone runs back, as her rod suddenly glows with lightning. A portal opens behind her, and she turns, a beam of lightning extending from the rod into the portal, as a jagged horn extends from the portal. Giving a motion with the rod, Ixion breaks free of the portal, and lands in front of her, as she smiles, giving the final command.

"Aerospark!" she calls, and Ixion's horn suddenly glows, as he tilts his head back, then slashes it forward, a crescent-shaped lightning disc flying from it, and cutting the body of the third Iron Giant in half, the halves falling and dissolving moments later. The aeon dissipates back to the realm it came from, as we all regroup.

"Everyone okay?" I ask, and everyone nods, Lulu wincing a moment as she drinks something; I assume some sort of magic replenishing item. "That's good, those things were brutal. We better get out of here, and fast." I say, walking towards the end of the plains, and Rikku nods furiously, running beside me, as the others walk right behind me.

* * *

Thankfully for us, nothing else attacks us before we reach the other side. As we're about to leave the plains, Yuna stops, and turns to us. 

"Everyone...wait." she says, as we all look at her.

"What's up?" Wakka says.

"I have something to tell you." Yuna continues, as Lulu and Rikku step forward a little.

"Here?" Lulu says, Rikku nodding furiously.

"We're almost out of here! Let's go!" she insists, and Yuna turns to her, her eyes somewhat pleading.

"I have to say it now!" she says, as Auron looks around, noticing a lightning rod tower a few dozen feet from us.

"Over there." he says, pointing to the tower, and we all run over quickly, before Yuna continues, taking a deep breath before she starts.

"I've decided...to marry." she says, and Lulu nods.

"I thought so." Lulu replies, as Tidus somewhat hangs his head, but no one notices, as they're too focused on Yuna.

"So, you've decided to marry Seymour." I state, more to myself than anyone else.

"B-But why? Why'd you change your mind?" Wakka asks, confused.

"For Spira's future...and Yevon's unity." Yuna replies, pausing a moment before continuing. "I thought it would be the best thing to do."

"That's not good enough." Auron says, and I sigh. Apparently, Tidus and I aren't the only ones openly opposed to Yuna's marriage.

"Wait, is it...is it because of Lord Jyscal?" Lulu says after a moment. Tidus snaps his fingers, connecting the dots instantly.

"That sphere!" he exclaims, and Auron's eyes narrow, as he approaches Yuna.

"Show me." he instructs, but Yuna shakes her head, turning away from the monk slightly.

"I can't." she says softly, staring at the ground, then back at Auron. "I must speak to Maester Seymour first. I truly am sorry, but this is...this is a personal matter." she says, Auron nodding slightly in understanding.

"You're kidding, ya?" Wakka says in disbelief.

"As you wish." Auron states, turning away from Yuna.

"I'm sorry." she says, and Auron turns his head to look at her again.

"Just one thing." he tells her, and she seems to understand immediately, nodding.

"I won't quit my pilgrimage." she replies, and Auron nods.

"Then it is...fine." he says, beginning to walk away, but Tidus walks up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait a minute, Auron! You don't care? I mean, you're not going to stop her?" Tidus exclaims, beginning to get angry.

"No, I'm not." Auron replies, as calm as ever. "As long as she is willing to face Sin...all else is her concern. That is a summoner's privilege. As long as she journeys." Wakka nods in approval, as Tidus seems to go even redder in the face.

"But that's..." he trails off, finally giving a short growl and turning away from Auron.

"You mean to say that's not right. Don't you." I say, causing Tidus to turn back to me. "Well, I don't happen to believe it's the right decision either, but that is Yuna's decision. We must respect that, no matter what." Tidus seems even more annoyed by my comment, but says nothing, as Wakka walks up to Yuna.

"Yuna, just one question. Can't you just talk to Maester Seymour? You've got to marry him?" Wakka says, and I mentally sigh.

'_That was two, but whatever.'_ I think, as Yuna answers.

"I don't know. But I think it is the right thing to do."

"Okay, I guess." Wakka says, walking away as Rikku approaches Yuna, putting her hands on Yuna's shoulders.

"Yunie..." she begins, but gets interrupted by a loud crash of thunder. "Quiet!" she hisses, looking up at the sky a moment, before looking back at Yuna. "I wish we could help somehow, some way!" she says, and I suddenly realize a hidden meaning to those words, but don't say anything.

"It's okay...I'll be fine." Yuna says, looking at Rikku and putting a hand on her hand. Auron decides to break up our little discussion at this point, walking into the middle of us and pointing towards the exit.

"Next, we're going to Macalania Temple. Yuna can talk with Seymour there. We guardians will wait until they're done, and plan our next move. Understood?" he says, and everyone nods, beginning to walk towards the exit to the plains.

'_And I can finally give Seymour the beatdown he so rightfully deserves.' _I think to myself, as we leave the volatile region.

* * *

Well, only a few more chapters till Macalania Temple! Next up, is Macalania Woods. Then Lake Macalania, where a series of interesting events happen. You'll have to keep reading to find out! Until then, please review, and good day to all! 


	22. Chapter 22: Reprieves and Revelations

Well, Destiny's Call has hit over 100 reviews now, so there's only one thing left to do. Party! (Nightfire and the FFX gang walk in, as music starts playing) Anyway, on to the replies!

Iron Reaver: Yes. All killed dead, indeed. Getting swatted isn't much fun, either. And no, they don't need to know about the chaos I wreak in my spare time. Mwahahaha!

anbu713: Thanks.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Thanks for the compliment. And yes, it will, pretty soon too. It's his 6th finishing move, called Shadow Blitz. He knows 4 out of the 8 he will learn so far. And no, it's not like the winged forms. You'll see...

Jiranto Valsis: I'm glad you liked it. If you want to know more about Nightfire and his sister, Yuki, check out 'Fire and Ice: Nightfire's Story'. The first chapter is up, and I will add more soon, hopefully. And about the trick, I do things like that a lot. Tis fun.

Fic-luva: Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate it. I sent you e-mail with my responses, as you know.

(sounds of Yuna whacking Tidus over the head with her staff are heard, and Wakka singing horribly off-key as well)  
Uh...(sweatdrops) We should get on with this now, before they kill each other. Nightfire, you're the bouncer! Take care of them! (Nightfire walks over) Anyway, on with the chapter...(looks over) Hey, don't throw that!

* * *

Chapter 22—Reprieves and Revelations 

Walking into Macalania Woods, I'm quite surprised to see the true beauty of the area. It's not just 'woods', it's a veritable forest of enormous trees. I'm not sure what kind they are at first glance, but the only thing coming to my mind is oak, or maybe redwood.

"You're worried about Yuna." I hear Auron say, as the rest of us walk ahead.

"Course I'm worried about her. What is she thinking?" he replies, as I finally get out of earshot, and turn to Rikku.

"Hey, walk over here a sec." I tell her, moving out of hearing distance of all the others.

"What is it?" she asks.

"We never got a chance for you to start teaching me Al Bhed." I reply, and she looks at me a moment, before gasping.

"You're right! I'm sorry!" she replies, and I wave a hand.

"No worries. Besides, I don't think it would be a good idea yet anyway. Wakka doesn't know you're an Al Bhed, and from what I can tell, he does not like the Al Bhed too much. A small group of them captured Yuna once in Luca, and then your friends did it again at the Moonflow." I tell her, causing her eyes to widen.

"They captured Yunie?" she asks, and I nod.

"I got her back, while Tidus, Lulu, and Kimahri held off a machina, though. So no problems there. Just hope it doesn't happen again..." I trail off, noticing Tidus and Auron approaching again.

"Yuna, let's go." Tidus says, and she nods, Rikku cheering, as we all walk farther into the forest.

* * *

Farther down the path, I notice something approaching quickly. Preparing myself for a possible fight, I'm relieved to see it's just Barthello. Dona seems to be absent, however. 

"Hey!" he yells, running up. "Have you seen Dona?"

"Dona?" Tidus replies, thinking a moment. "Can't say I have."

"What's up?" Wakka adds.

"We got separated on the way here." Barthello explains, smashing a fist into his other hand. "Damn it all! I've got to find her!"

"Calm down." Auron says, looking at the guardian.

"But, if anything happens to her..." Barthello protests, but Auron seems to not want to hear any of it.

"Running around in a panic is not going to help. Right now, you have to keep cool, and search." Auron says, calmly.

"But..."

"Guard your emotions, then guard your summoner." Auron says, and Barthello seems to finally calm down, nodding slowly.

"You're right."

"Shall we search?" Auron offers, but Barthello shakes his head.

"No, I've taken up enough of your time." he replies, doing the prayer gesture. "Thank you, Sir Auron." he says, running off to continue searching. Rikku then runs up in front of us, before stopping, causing Wakka to look at her strangely.

"What's up?" he says, Rikku shrugging slightly to dismiss the question.

"Oh, I just wanted to wish him good luck." she replies, walking back to stand beside me.

"Let's keep moving. No telling what might be here." I say, starting to walk off, up a winding path of branches. Hopefully, no one will lose their balance and fall off.

* * *

A few minutes later, we come across one of the strangest things I've ever seen. A tall man, dressed in a multicolored outfit, looking like a bipedal hawk, with a harp attached to the sleeve of his left arm. 

"A butterfly with rainbow wings will lead the way to secret things." he tells us, and everyone stops, confused. After a moment, I realize what he's talking about.

"Ok. I'm ready." I say, causing everyone to give me strange looks, as the man nods. Grinning like a fool, I run back the way we came, touching butterflies along the way. I remember you have to avoid the red ones, and so I hit every one that I see that isn't red. Almost fall once, but manage to keep my balance.

As I reach the end, touching the last butterfly, a bright flash appears, and a chest appears in front of me. Opening it, I notice a small, circular crest, with the planet Saturn on it.

"The Saturn Sigil." I say, smiling, and walking back up the path.

"Look what I found." I say, holding the Sigil up for everyone to see. Yuna gasps upon seeing it. "I take it you recognize it?" I ask, and she nods, apparently fumbling for words.

"I once heard a story about the seven legendary weapons, said to be scattered around Spira since before the time of Sin. That sigil that you have, it goes with the Spirit Lance..." she says, and I smile.

"I know about the weapons as well. Caladbolg, Nirvana, Masamune, Spirit Lance, World Champion, Onion Knight, and Godhand." I say, and Yuna gasps again.

"But...how would you react if I told you I know the _locations _as well?" I say, smiling. Everyone cries out a little, surprised by what I just said.

"You're kidding, ya?" Wakka says, and I shake my head.

"Nope, not kidding one bit. I know where they are, and how to reclaim them. But, we aren't able to do it right now. Later, I will make an attempt." I say, walking down the path, everyone staring at me a moment, before following.

'_Was it really a good idea to tell them about the weapons...' _I think to myself, as we approach the next part of the forest. _'Yes, it was. It'll make a big difference in the battle with Sin.' _Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I notice Auron stop, and look around, before drawing his sword.

"Wait. It is here...somewhere."

"What's here?" Tidus queries, and Auron looks at a large tree.

"Something you should see." he replies, as Yuna walks up beside him.

"But, Sir Auron..." she says, Auron looking down at her a moment.

"It won't take long." Auron says, walking over and slicing into a tree, the tree falling with a crash a moment after, to reveal a hidden path. Walking in, the rest of us follow Auron, who has gone ahead, Tidus at his side. After a minute of walking, we come across what appears to be a small lake, with a giant tree in the center, on a small island.

"This place...it's just water, isn't it?" Tidus asks, after a moment of examining.

"This is what spheres are made of. It absorbs and preserves people's memories." Auron explains, as suddenly a large blob of blue goo rises up out of the water, hovering near us. Everyone takes a step back.

"What's that?" Wakka asks.

"Fiends are also attracted to this place." Auron replies, looking up at the blob and drawing his sword.

"Oh boy...guys," I begin, "this is the Spherimorph. Physical attacks don't do much, use magic on it! It'll change colors based on what element it is!" I say, preparing a Thunder spell. Lulu beats me to it, though.

"Thundara!" she yells, a bolt of lightning lancing out into the creature. It shudders, before floating above her head, and dropping down suddenly, slamming her into the ground.

"Lulu!" I yell, casting a Cure spell, before launching a Thunder spell at it. It shudders again, and turns a bright red.

"Water attacks, everyone!" I say, casting a Water spell, as Yuna casts Protect on us, to avoid being hurt too severely from the creature's crushing attack.

"Watera!" Lulu cries again, a blob of liquid slamming into the creature, and hurting it more. After a moment, the creature glows, and blasts me with a Fira spell, knocking me backwards. Singed, I cast Cure on myself, before pelting it with a Water spell, Lulu chaining that with another Watera.

"Silence Attack!" Wakka yells, hurling a glowing white blitzball at the creature, which connects, inflicting Silence on it, but the blitzball sticks to the creature, instead of bouncing back. "That's not fair, ya!" Wakka cries, outraged by the result. The creature turns blue again now, and I smile, knowing how to hurt it quite badly.

"Get back!" I yell, taking the summoning stance. Grabbing my sword, I hold it up to the sky, as it begins to glow yellow, a lightning bolt striking it and sending a sphere of electricity around it. Turning around, I slash into the air, and a bolt lances from it into a portal, and I yank the sword back, Ixion bounding out to land beside me.

"Let's do it! Aerospark!" Ixion rears its head back, before slashing forward with the horn, a crescent-shaped energy disc cutting into the creature. It responds by moving over Ixion, and slamming into the aeon. Ixion gives a short whine, and I grin evilly.

"Thor's Hammer!"

Backing up slightly, Ixion charges up a bolt of lightning on its horn, before blasting it at the creature, the force holding it up in the air, as a charge of lightning snakes down the trail, slamming into the creature with a large explosion. The Spherimorph falls, hovering a little lower than before, as Lulu charges a finishing spell.

"Thundara!" she yells, another bolt of lightning slamming into the fiend, as it shakes, and then slowly melts back into the water, defeated. Wakka angrily walks over to the water, snatching his blitzball back from the remains of the creature.

"Teach you to steal my ball." he mutters, and I chuckle, noticing a sphere in the water.

"Hey, look at this." I say, handing the sphere to Auron.

"Whoa, this is old!" Wakka exclaims, examining the sphere. "Don't know if you can play it back.

"Jecht left it here ten years ago." Auron states, causing everyone to gasp. "Play it back." he says, handing it to Tidus, who turns the sphere on. An image of a then-younger Auron appears, with buildings in the background.

* * *

"What are you taking?" Auron says, looking at the camera. 

"Well, you said it was gonna be a long trip." the voice of Jecht says, revealing him to be the one taping. Braska walks on screen now, and the three of them walk off, Jecht still videotaping with the sphere.

"We'll be seeing a lot of neat things, right? So I thought I'd record it all in this. To show to my wife and kid, you know." Auron stops and looks at Jecht.

"This is no pleasure cruise!" he says, somewhat angrily. Jecht just gives a small chuckle, looking at Braska.

"Hey, Braska. Ain't this supposed to be a grand occasion? Where're the cheering fans? The crying women?" he asks, Braska looking at him.

"This is it. Too many goodbyes—people think twice about leaving." he says, solemnly.

"Hmm...if you say so." Jecht says, pausing for a moment. "Well, it better be a lot more colorful when we come back. A parade for Braska, vanquisher of Sin!" he says, causing Braska to laugh.

"We should go. Day will break soon." Braska says, as the sphere gets lowered and turned off.

* * *

"Not over yet." I say, pointing at the sphere again. 

The sphere fades back in on what I recognize as the outskirts of Lake Macalania, an icy place with a travel agency in the background. Jecht and Auron are standing far apart, but side by side, which means Braska is taping now.

* * *

"Auron, could you stand closer to him?" Braska asks, and Auron sighs, nodding. After a few moments, he moves closer to Jecht. "Good. That should do it." Braska says. 

"What's the matter? Afraid I might bite?" Jecht teases, turning to Auron.

"Jecht..." Auron starts, but gets cut off by the blitzballer.

"Braska! You should take one, too. It'd make a great gift for little Yuna!" he says, looking at Braska again.

"I suppose." he replies, and Auron steps forward.

"Lord Braska...we shouldn't be wasting our time like this!" Auron says, and Jecht crosses his arms.

"What's the hurry, man?" he says, as Auron walks towards Braska.

"Let me tell you what the hurry is!" Auron says, and Braska drops the sphere down slightly.

"Auron!" he says, as the sphere fades out again.

* * *

"What's the point?" Tidus says, looking at Auron. "He wasn't on some pleasure cruise." 

"I think there's more." Rikku says, pointing to the sphere, as it turns back on. This time, it shows the area we're currently in, Jecht sitting on the side of the bank. The sphere is on the ground, which means Auron and Braska aren't anywhere around.

* * *

"Hey. If you're sitting here, watching this...it means you're stuck in Spira, like me." Jecht begins. "You might not know when you'll get back home, but you better not be crying! Although, I guess I'd understand. But you know what? There's a time when you have to stop crying, and move on. You'll be fine. Remember, you're my son." he says, putting a hand behind his head. "And...well, uh...never mind. I'm not good at these things." he finishes, walking over and turning the sphere off. After a moment, it turns on again, Jecht holding it like a video camera again. 

"Anyways...I believe in you. Be good. Goodbye." he says, as the sphere goes dark for the final time.

* * *

"He sounded almost serious, but it was too late." Tidus says, standing up and pocketing the sphere. 

"He was serious." Auron explains. "Jecht had already accepted his fate."

"His...fate?" Tidus says, concerned and confused at the same time.

"Jecht...he...he was always talking about going home, to Zanarkand. That's why he took all these pictures—to show to you when he returned. But, as he journeyed with us and came to understand Spira, and Braska's resolve..." Auron says, trailing off. "It happened gradually, but Jecht changed. He decided he would join Braska in his fight against Sin."

"So then, he gave up going home?" Tidus asks after a moment.

"That was his decision." Auron says, nodding slightly. Tidus nods, before suddenly turning to me.

"Ben, I wanted to ask you something that I've been thinking about. How do you know so much about Spira? You haven't been here before, have you?" he asks, and I suddenly freeze, wondering how to answer the question.

"No, Tidus, I haven't been here before." I say, and everyone looks at me. "Well, guess I better explain. I'm actually from an entirely different dimension...so to speak. The fayth came to me one day, and told me that I would be a boon to Yuna's pilgrimage, and gave me an offer. I accepted, and shortly after, I found myself here in Spira." I answer, deciding to leave out the part about Zanarkand for now.

"So...you're not really from Spira?" Yuna asks, and I shake my head.

"Right. I'm not even from this dimension. Mine is completely different from this one. But enough about that." I say, hoping to get out of the hot seat as quickly as possible. "Let's get going. We need to hit Macalania Temple, right?" I ask, and Yuna nods, as we all head back the way we came, back into Macalania Woods. As we're leaving, I can hear Auron talking to Tidus. I stop to listen, while the others walk ahead.

"Jecht loved you." Auron tells Tidus, who just shakes his head.

"Oh, come on, please!"

"He just didn't know how to express it, he said."

"Enough about my old man, okay?" Tidus says, starting to walk away.

"I just thought you should know." Auron says, following.

"Okay." Tidus says, turning back to face him. "Thanks."

"Alright, now that that's settled, let's get going to the temple." I say, and the three of us catch up with the rest of the group, heading to Macalania Temple.

* * *

Well, that's the first part of Macalania done with, next up is Lake Macalania! And boy, will things happen there! And yes, the legendary weapons will, hopefully, make an appearance.(a crash is heard) Nooo! Not the television! (walks over, smacking Tidus over the head with his sword) Anyway, while I clean this horrible mess up, please review! 


	23. Chapter 23: The Call Of Duty

Not many reviews this time...where did all my reviewers go? Hmm...something to ponder on. For now, the replies!

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Ok, one at a time. First, I haven't decided yet whether or not Ben will have a legendary weapon. But they will make an appearance. Second, there will be a sequel. Hope you're familiar with FFX-2. Third, interesting idea with Bahamut. I might just do that.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: (throws DWR off the Calm Lands gorge) Direct it to the bottom of this! Heh heh heh...

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: If all goes right, next chapter shall be Seymour's demise! Mwahahaha! And things will be revealed. Just what...you'll have to see.

Now that that's all said and done, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 23—The Call Of Duty

Lake Macalania. One of the most tranquil places in all of Spira. In fact, pretty much the whole of Macalania is a very calm, soothing place. Right now, it's cold. The whole lake is iced completely over, quite solidly too. I tried stabbing my sword through; it went in halfway up the blade, and still was in no danger of breaking.

"I wish I had places like this where I come from..." I mutter to myself, looking out over the frozen lake. "So peaceful."

"Hey, what's the matter?" Rikku asks, walking up behind me.

"Just...admiring the view." I respond, turning to face her.

"You're a bad liar, you know that?" she says, grinning. I just sigh.

"Okay, fine, you caught me. I was just wishing I had places like this back home...it's so peaceful here." I tell her, turning to look back at the lake. I feel an arm around my shoulders, and turn, looking Rikku in the eyes.

"It is, isn't it." she says, joining me in my gazing.

'_I wish I had my family here to share this...I miss them. Everyone I cared for is gone...'_

"Hey! You two lovebirds coming, or what?"

"Wakka, don't make me come over there!" I yell back, joking with the former captain. "Alright, we better get back before 'Cap'n' over there has a heart attack." I tell Rikku, causing her to laugh, and follow me back over to the group. Approaching, I notice Clasko walking up, with a chocobo of his own this time.

"Hi there."

"Hey, Clasko. They leave you again?" I ask, and he nods.

"They always leave me behind." he says, as the chocobo makes a strange noise; I guess some kind of cry. Clasko turns to it, looking at it a moment. "Oh, you want me to scratch you?" he asks, and the chocobo leans its head down, Clasko scratching it on the neck, causing it to make a sound of contentment. "There. Good boy!"

"How'd you know what it wanted?" Tidus asks, obviously confused at Clasko's understanding of the chocobo.

"I've always been able to tell how chocobos feel. I think I'd make a better chocobo breeder than Chocobo Knight, huh?" he says, turning to me suddenly. "Hey, what job do you see me doing?" he asks, and I think a moment.

"Chocobo breeder. If you can understand them so well, why let that talent go to waste?" I reply. Clasko nods, smiling.

"Yeah! I think so too! Hmm...you know, I just might give it a try." he says, and we nod, doing the prayer gesture, before continuing to walk down the bank of the frozen lake.

* * *

After a couple minutes of walking, I can see the travel agency, the one shown in the sphere. Someone's approaching us too, and it turns out to be Tromell.

'_Great, him.'_

"Lady Yuna, we've been expecting you." he says, greeting us with the prayer gesture. "We were surprised you decided to come so soon. Pleasantly surprised, of course. Lord Seymour sends his apologies for having left without notice."

"It's quite all right." Yuna replies, nodding. "I have one question, if I may, sir."

"My lady?"

"I want to keep journeying, even if I marry." Yuna says, determination showing in her eyes. "Do you think that Maester Seymour would let me?" Tromell nods quickly.

"But, of course, my lady. Lord Seymour wishes nothing else, I'm sure." he replies, and Yuna turns to face us, nodding.

"Goodbye." she says, walking up to Tromell.

"Well...we must follow Guado tradition." he says, and I quirk an eyebrow. "I'll have to ask you to wait here a little while longer. I'll send someone to escort you." he finishes, beginning to walk away. Yuna starts to follow, but then stops, turning around.

"I..." she starts, but Auron cuts her off.

"We're all with you. Do as you will." he tells her, and she smiles.

"Thank you." she says, turning to follow Tromell. Auron turns to Tidus, after Yuna starts walking away.

"Sorry." he says, and Tidus looks at him, confused.

"Hmm?"

"That was your line." he replies, and I look around. I could've sworn I just heard something...

"Yuna!" Tidus says, running forward and giving a loud whistle, causing Yuna to turn around.

"Yessir!" she says, playfully, before continuing to follow Tromell.

"Wait...I did just hear something!" I say suddenly, having heard what sounds like motors. Looking around, I quickly notice the source. Four snowmobile type machina, and they're heading straight for Yuna and Tromell!

"Yuna!" I say, dashing towards the two while unsheathing my katana and wakizashi.

"Oh, no!" Rikku exclaims, as everyone else follows me.

"Al Bhed!" Wakka yells, pulling out his blitzball, as everyone else arms themselves as well, forming a circle around Yuna and Tromell.

"Stand back." Auron orders, Tromell stepping behind our group.

"Thank you!" he says, beginning to walk away, holding on to Yuna, but Yuna removes her hand, and rejoins us. "Lady Yuna!" he cries, unable to do anything but watch.

Suddenly, just as soon as the Al Bhed have surrounded us, they back off, and a shout is heard from a hilltop nearby.

"Rikku!"

Everyone's attention goes to the hilltop, as the mohawked Al Bhed that was on the ship with Tidus and I earlier yells down, standing beside a large, cannon-type machina, and a smaller, flying one that resembles a recording machine of some sort.

"Tuh'd endanvana un oui kad drec!" he yells, pointing to the cannon. "Ouin bnaleuic magic yht aeons yna caymat!" I growl, and Rikku gasps, as he starts to laugh.

"Oh, no!" Rikku yells, causing Tidus to turn to her.

"Translation?"

"He just sealed our magic and aeons." I answer, calmly, causing Tidus to look at me.

"Since when do you understand Al Bhed?" he asks.

"Explanations later, okay!" I say, noticing the Crawler rolling down the hill, stopping in front of us. Tromell grabs Yuna's arm, saying something to her, and the two of them leave quickly, heading in the direction of the temple. "Okay, go for the little thing! We blow it up first, we get our magic back!" I explain, and Wakka nods.

"Take this!" he yells, heaving the blitzball at the small machina, hitting it and causing it to wobble.

The Crawler responds by beginning to charge up one of its weapons, the gatling gun to be exact, and shooting a burst at Wakka, slamming into him, but not killing him. The Sphere Grid is apparently very useful, if it can stop bullets from piercing, or at least from doing severe damage.

"Wakka! We need to double team it! Knock it down, and I'll shred it!" I yell over, and Wakka nods, throwing the ball at it again, causing it to wobble, and I dash at it. Jumping into the air, I'm suddenly caught by a burst of energy, and sent flying back to land on the ground.

"Unngh...yeah, beam attacks, right..." I say, getting back to my feet. "Well, time to cut up this big lug!" I cry, and charge the Crawler, jumping away from another beam, and jumping onto the machina. Looking around, I don't notice anything that could be exploited as a weakness, and jump back down, slashing at the metal as I run back. Tidus, Kimahri, and Auron are slicing away at the thing, but they're taking hits from both beams and the gatling gun. Tidus, apparently, has had just about enough.

"Take this!" he yells, jumping and flipping through the air, using his Spiral Cut on the Crawler, and Kimahri focuses as well, growling, before jumping into the air and slamming down on the Crawler with his Jump Overdrive. Unfortunately, not much damage is being dealt.

"Enough!" Auron yells, running up and drawing his sword back like a baseball bat, before slamming it into the front of the Crawler, slicing right into the gatling gun. The Crawler tries to fire again, but ends up completely destroying the gatling gun, jerking back from the explosion.

"Rah!" I yell, running back up to the Crawler, before jumping back onto it. "Wakka, hit the Negator, now!" I cry, and Wakka slams the blitzball into it, and as it wobbles, I jump off the Crawler and slam my sword into it, slicing right through the fragile machina. Immediately, I can feel my magic and aeon powers returning. "Cura!" Healing Wakka, Tidus, Auron, Kimahri, and myself, I take a moment to act as support, while the others attack.

"Thundara!" I hear Lulu yell, slamming into the Crawler with a bolt of lightning, as Wakka continues to hit it with the blitzball, and the others slash at the metal. Suddenly, the Crawler shakes, and begins to glow slightly, unleashing a powerful beam that knocks us all to the ground, wincing painfully from the force of the attack.

"Whoa, that had to be Mana Beam..." I mutter, staring in awe. "This thing can't stay intact any longer! Renzokuken!" Running up, I deliver several slashes, cutting into the machina slightly, before slashing a final time and bouncing off the machina, picking a finishing move that I've just discovered I had.

"This should hurt it! Blasting Zone!" I yell, before planting my feet, gripping my katana with both hands, and holding it up towards the sky. Energy gathers around me, and my katana shines slightly, before a large beam of energy extends from the blade, shooting up through the clouds and sky. After a moment, I notice the move is fully charged, and bring the katana straight down, the beam slamming into the top of the Crawler, setting off small explosions and sparks from the machina. "I think it's almost destroyed! Hit it with everything you've got!" I cry, dropping to a knee and letting off a Thunder spell, the others following suit with their attacks.

"Thundara!"

"Armor Break!"

Wakka throws his blitzball at the Crawler, while Tidus and Kimahri run in alongside Auron for melee combat. The two spells hit the Crawler, setting off more sparks and crackles, and Auron, Tidus, and Kimahri slice into the front, Wakka's blitzball also impacting. The Crawler gives several more small explosions, before shuddering a final time and shutting down.

"Finally!" I cry, utterly exasperated at the resilience of the machina. The mohawked guy has been watching the whole fight, and begins to yell again from the hilltop.

"Rikku! E femm damm Vydran!" he cries, and Rikku glares up at him.

"E ys dra guardian uv Yuna, oui caa? Yuna ec cyva! Fa femm kiynt ran! Cra ec cyva!" she yells back, and the mohawked guy shakes his head, before yelling again.

"Oui tu drec ymuha, cecdan!" he yells, running off, disappearing over the hilltop. As I watch him depart, I suddenly notice Wakka staring at Rikku.

"I told him I was a guardian." Rikku says, giggling. "Well, guess I had to, really." Wakka just continues to stare, finally saying something.

"How come you speak Al Bhed? Why?" he asks, looking at Tidus and Lulu. I mentally groan, wanting to shake my head at Wakka's ignorance. Tidus can't seem to find the words, and so Rikku explains for him.

"Because I'm Al Bhed. And that...was my brother." she says, Wakka's eyes going wide, as he looks at Tidus and Lulu again.

"You knew?" he asks, and they nod. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We knew you'd be upset." Lulu states simply. Wakka just growls.

"This is great. I can't believe I've been traveling with an Al Bhed! A heathen!" That gets me angry. I won't stand for anyone insulting my friends, and especially not my girlfriend.

"Shut it, Wakka!" I say, walking over to him.

"But, the Al Bhed use machina! They're responsible for Sin! Sin was born because of people using machina!" he says, and I just glare.

"And exactly how were the Al Bhed completely responsible? There were Yevonites too, if I recall!" I growl, thoroughly annoyed at his childish behavior.

"You got proof? Show me proof!" Rikku says, and Wakka turns his gaze to her.

"It's in Yevon's teachings! Not that you'd know!" he says, and I grab him by the shirt.

"One more insult. Just one. I want an excuse to knock your lights out." I say, voice low. Wakka growls, ripping my hand away and throwing a punch at my face. He obviously doesn't seem to remember I'm a martial artist. Dodging the punch quickly, I move behind him, grabbing his wrist in the process, and effortlessly twist it behind his head, bending his arm at the elbow, with his hand now between his shoulder blades. Keeping one hand on his wrist, I grab the other wrist and bend it behind his back, putting that hand together with his other hand. "You were warned." I tell him. "Now, you didn't seem to have any problem with Rikku until someone said something. What's the big deal?"

"She's an Al Bhed! They use machina! It defies Yevon's teachings! That's the problem!" he spits, and I put pressure on his arm, making him wince.

"There is no problem, Wakka. You need to drop your prejudices! We have a job to do, and that's protecting Yuna! I will knock you out if you let your hatred of the Al Bhed get in the way of doing your job as a guardian. Clear?" I say, and he growls. I simply increase the pressure on his arm, making him wince even more.

"Alright, alright! Fine!" he says, and I let him go, causing him to rub his arm.

Funny thing is, no one even tried to stop me. I guess they saw it coming.

"Rikku!" Auron says, examining one of the machina snowmobiles. "Will this move?" he asks, and Rikku runs over to check it out. Nodding, she quickly sets to work on it, and I walk over, watching. I know nothing about mechanics, so I figure I'll just be in the way if I try to help. After a minute or two of fiddling with the snowmobile, Rikku stands up.

"It should work now!" she says, triumphantly. Wakka just growls softly, and I shoot him a glare, shutting him up again.

"Okay, 7 of us, 4 of these. 1 or 2 to each one. Me and Rikku will take one, Tidus and Lulu, Auron and Wakka..." I trail off, noticing Kimahri flip one of them over, get on, and drive off. "And, Kimahri gets his own, I guess." I say, chuckling slightly. Everyone nods, and moves towards the snowmobiles, climbing on and starting them up. Me and Rikku get on one, Rikku taking the back to let me drive. Nodding, I start the engine, and take off after everyone else, heading for Macalania Temple, and Seymour.

* * *

And so it begins...the introduction of the other main villain...to the rest of the gang, at least. The next chapter will probably be longer, as quite a bit happens at the temple. As always, please review!


	24. Chapter 24: Icy Vengeance

Disclaimer: I do not own the songs/themes used in this chapter, credit goes to the singers/songwriters, and whoever owns them.

Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for! Seymour finally gets what he deserves! But first, the replies!

Iron Reaver: Yeah, laugh it up, laugh it up...you'll get yours.

Radzilla: Thanks, as always. The finishing move Blasting Zone isn't really one I made up, it's taken from Final Fantasy 8, as are Rough Divide, Fated Circle, and one more that hasn't been shown yet.For now, here's the moment you've been awaiting!

beastboy-had-a-brain: Yep, Seymour finally pays his dues this chapter.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: It's 'tomorrow at 6'. Heh heh heh...

anbu713: Yeah, Wakka always struck me as the 'speak before you think' type, even moreso than Tidus. So, I intended to make him pay for it.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Yep, I know. I'll check out your fic if I have time, even though I'm not very familiar with either Buffy or FF7.

Now, without further delay, for those of you that can't wait, onwards!

* * *

Chapter 24—Icy Vengeance 

The ride to Macalania Temple is amazingly short. At least, it seemed it. These things went pretty fast, but then again, they were made by the Al Bhed. I'd expect it. As we arrive at the temple, I just stop and stare at it. Winter is my favorite time of year, even though we don't get snow, so I am enthralled by this area. Stalagmites and stalactites everywhere, the temple itself stretching from the top of the cavern to the bottom. Peering down, I can see another walkway, although I don't remember where it leads.

"Alright, this is it. Let's go." I say, walking towards the door. A guard is posted there, and upon seeing Rikku, he immediately steps in front of us.

"Halt! The likes of her are not welcome in this hallowed place." he says, pointing at her. Glaring, I put my hand on my sword handle, but Auron steps in.

"She is a guardian." he states, causing the guard to snort.

"An Al Bhed, a guardian? Preposterous!"

"I've decided to be Yuna's guardian now, and that's all I want." Rikku says, stepping up beside me and Auron.

"And that's all one needs to be a guardian." Auron says, in a tone that explicitly said 'the matter is finished'.

"Very well." the guard says, stepping aside. I shoot him a final glare as I enter, everyone else behind me. As soon as I step in the door, Shelinda runs up. Just when I thought I couldn't hate this temple any more.

"Ah! There you are!" she says, looking at me and Tidus. "So Lady Yuna is getting married. You shouldn't kid around about these things." she says, attempting to joke around. And failing miserably, I might add.

"Yeah, I guess so." Tidus says flatly. Shelinda looks at him oddly, apparently confused as to why Tidus isn't happy.

"You're not happy?"

"Nah, it's complicated." he says. "Say...do you know where Yuna is?" he asks after a moment. Shelinda thinks a moment, before answering.

"I believe...she's gone to the Cloister of Trials with Maester Seymour." she replies, causing me to shake my head, and run towards the Cloister door. Just as I'm about to open it, however, a shout catches my attention.

"Lord Jyscal! A sphere, in Lady Yuna's belongings..." a girl cries, running out of a room, a sphere held in hand. Auron walks up to her, taking the sphere, and walks into the room, all of us following.

"This may well answer a few questions." Auron says, handing the sphere to Tidus, who places it on the floor and turns it on. An image of Lord Jyscal then appears, a cloudy background also in view. Flashes appear every so often, which I believe are lightning strikes. It's also raining, and that seems to be interfering with the sphere somewhat.

"What I am about to tell you is the unclouded truth." Jyscal begins. "I swear it on my honor as a Guado. Listen to me very carefully, for I shall tell you the truth about my son, Seymour. His mind is closed even to me, a maester of Yevon. But I can feel flames of darkness burning in his heart. He is using Yevon, the Guado, and even the summoners. If he is not stopped, he will surely bring destruction and chaos to Spira. I will leave this world soon, killed by my own son. But I do not fault him. Because I was not wise enough, he has suffered, and become twisted. I could not protect him and his mother from the world and its cruelty. I will accept death as punishment for my deeds. But whoever is watching this...I implore you to stop Seymour! Stop my son." After that, the sphere turns off.

"The last memoirs of Lord Jyscal. Revealing his son for the twisted, cowardly maester that he really is." I say, standing up angrily. "Well, now that you all know the truth about Seymour, allow me to tell you something I've known since Luca. Remember the fiends that appeared? Seymour was the one who set them loose in the first place!" I finish, everyone gasping except Auron.

"But...Maester Seymour would never do that!" Wakka protests, and I growl.

"Wakka, the proof is right there!" I yell, motioning to Jyscal's sphere. "You don't believe his own father? Fine. Stay here. I have an evil maester to stop." I say, walking out of the room, towards the Cloister of Trials. Before I can get to the door, though, I'm stopped by Rikku's voice.

"Ben, wait!" she yells, running to me.

"What?" I say, turning to face her, as she looks at me, the others right behind us.

"We all need to go through the trials together, remember?" she says, and I hang my head slightly.

"Yeah, you're right. Save the anger for Seymour, right?" I ask her, and she nods, grinning. I honestly don't know how she can smile after what she just saw, but that's why I like her so much.

* * *

The Cloister of Trials is cold. Very, very cold. Windy and icy all around, and the entire area is iced over. I have to be careful not to slip and fall. Walking across the ice bridge, I notice it disappear behind us, and I frown. 

'_No turning back now...' _I think to myself, as I check my pockets and mental list, making sure I'm ready for the upcoming fight. I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief, too. That soon, Seymour will get what he really and truly deserves. Yuna is already inside; praying to the fayth, I assume. I should be joining her, but I have a Maester to stop. Finally, we reach the door to the main hall, right before the Chamber of the Fayth. Giving a quick nod to everyone, I shove the door open and run in.

"Seymour!" Tidus yells, causing the Maester to turn to him, as well as gain the attention of the 2 guards in the room.

"Please be silent. Lady Yuna prays to the fayth." he says, smugly. Tidus and I just glare.

"Make me." we say, simultaneously. Seymour just smirks, walking down the steps to face us. Just then, the chamber doors open, and Yuna walks out, Seymour turning to face her.

"Yuna!" Tidus yells, and I look up at the summoner, ready to protect her should anything go off plan.

"But why?" Yuna says, looking at Seymour.

'_It's my turn to make a decision. Confront him now, on my own, or let this chance slide by.'_

"We saw Jyscal's sphere." Tidus says, glaring at the Maester, Auron looking at Seymour with hatred concealed by the glasses he wears.

"You killed him."

'_I can't take this. He's done so much already, I'm not going to sit back and do nothing.'_

"What of it?" Seymour asks, as if nothing is wrong with the fact that he committed murder. "Lady Yuna, certainly you knew of these things, did you not?" he says, and Yuna makes a series of noises, apparently unable to say anything. "Well then, why have you come here?"

Stepping over to us, Yuna gives her reply, gripping her staff tightly. "I came...I came to stop you!"

"I see. You came to punish me, then?" Seymour says, walking forward and extending his hand, causing Yuna to back away. "What a pity." Surrounding Yuna, all of us glare at Seymour, who smiles evilly again. "Ah, of course. 'Protect the summoner, even at the cost of one's life.' The Code of the Guardian. How admirable." Seymour says, his two guards stepping forward, weapons drawn. "Well, if you're offering your lives, I shall have to take them."

Yuna just glares, speaking again as she steps in front of all of us. "Maester Seymour. I trust my guardians with my life. But they are also my friends. I will not stand by and watch them be hurt. I will fight you, too!"

'_That's it. I've made my choice. This isn't just their story. This is my story too!'_

"No!" I say suddenly, causing everyone to look at me. Slicing a hand through the air, I turn to face the group. "This is my fight!" Turning to Seymour, I continue.

"Seymour, you were the ones who let the fiends loose at Luca! You've been behind so much, yet no one has noticed, just because of your position. Well, I won't stand for it! This is my story, and I won't let it be ended just because of a power-hungry maniac like you!" I say, eyes burning with rage, as I turn back to Yuna and the others one final time.

"This is my fight. I'm doing this alone. Trust me." I say, Yuna and the others reluctantly nodding, and stepping back, as I draw my katana and wakizashi, preparing for some long-overdue revenge.

"So be it." Seymour says, stepping forward, his two guards at his side.

_(Play FF8: Liberi Fatali)_

"Payback time, Seymour! This is for all the innocent people at Luca, and everyone else you've hurt!" I yell, casting a Haste spell and charging the Maester furiously. The two guards open fire on me, but I _dodge the bullets_,the Haste spell aiding my movements.

Bringing the sword up, I cut into the neck of the first guard, dodging a Blizzara spell from Seymour at the same time, before backflipping away twice, to fire off a Thunder spell, shocking the other guard. It gives Seymour the opportunity to hit me with a Fira spell, sending me back slightly. Gritting my teeth, I charge in, impaling the other guard in the chest, before kicking him off the blade of my sword.  
_  
_"Just you and me, Seymour. No more tricks, no more help. One on one." I say, staring the Maester down, waiting on him to make his move.

"Thundara!" he cries, striking me with a bolt of powerful, magical lightning, sending me to my knees. Standing back up, I growl, sheathing the wakizashi.

"Renzokuken!" I cry, charging Seymour with double the normal speed, thanks to Haste and the Overdrive, before slashing at him as hard as I can. Unfortunately, he has a Protect up, and the strikes I land are nothing more than small cuts. Jumping back, I pick a finishing move.

"Phase Shift!" Running at Seymour again, I become ethereal, striking him and passing through to the other side of him, causing him to turn to face me, as I become ethereal. A small line of blood traces its way across Seymour's chest, and I grin.

"How does it feel? How does it feel to finally feel retribution at the hands of someone who won't stand by idly? I hope it hurts." I say, eyes narrowed.

"You will soon be the one in pain. Fira!" he cries, casting the magic on me again. I bring my sword up to deflect, but the force still knocks me back a few steps.

"You can try! Fira!" I yell, casting my own Fira spell back at him, the spell impacting, burning Seymour. Seymour just growls, casting a Cura spell on himself, and I frown, watching the injuries I inflicted vanish. "Two can play that game." I mutter, using a Cure spell on myself as well.

"Thundara!" The next bolt of lightning strikes down at me, but I dodge, and dart at Seymour, hammering away furiously at the Protect spell, noticing it weaken with every strike.

"Come...on...you...BREAK!" I bellow, the shield finally giving way, letting my sword pass straight down over Seymour's chest, cutting another line across it to replace the previous one. Seymour steps back slightly, not expecting me to be as powerful as I am, apparently.

_(End Liberi Fatali)_

"A worthy opponent, perhaps...no matter. Feel my pain! Come, Anima!" he says, doing the prayer gesture, before a massive anchor drops down from out of nowhere, dragging the massive aeon up from the depths of the earth. I just step back, looking up at the aeon in slight intimidation.

_(Play FF8: Ultimecia's first form theme)_

"Well...this is bad..." I mutter, knowing my only aeon is out of the fight for now. "Let's hope I can control this, just this once. Renzokuken!" I yell, running up to Anima, and bounding up the aeon in steps, to slash at the face several times, each hit leaving a cut. Slashing one final time at the eye itself, I jump down, preparing to use a finishing move. "Overdrive Reels!" Concentrating hard, I try to control the effects of the attack, and it actually works.

"Time to fight fire with fire! Grand Summon!" I say, slashing my sword in an X-pattern, before turning it over and driving it into the ground, the earth exploding beneath me to reveal the mighty aeon. The rock chunk I'm standing on explodes, and I fall out of the air, landing on Ifrit's shoulder, as the aeon roars. Jumping down, I sheath my sword, and prepare to give the first order.

"Ifrit, take him out! Meteor Strike!" The aeon growls, forming a ball of red energy in front of it, before launching it at Anima, the other aeon roaring in pain.

"Show him the true meaning of fear!" Seymour says, before Anima bellows, charging up energy in its one eye, and launching a powerful beam at Ifrit, sending it staggering back.

"Make him burn! Hellfire!"

Ifrit growls, and jumps into the air, firing two balls of energy at Anima, engulfing the aeon in a vortex of fire, before shooting another sphere of fire at it, causing the entire tornado to explode, Anima giving a mighty screech in response.

"Introduce him to oblivion, Anima!" Seymour cries, and I step back, eyes widening.

'_Not good, not good at all...'_

Anima roars, before the entire area turns to that of an empty, dark vortex. Anima's other half can now be seen, much like the top, but even uglier. The hands are bound with powerful chains, but the aeon roars, and the chains snap, as the bottom half faces Ifrit. It begins pummeling Ifrit with a shower of blows, causing large explosions over the aeon. Finally, the bottom half screeches, and unleashes a powerful blast of energy, causing another massive explosion. Shielding my eyes, I uncover them after a moment to find Anima, still in its former position, and Ifrit, sprawled on the ground, fading away.

"Man, what's it going to take to beat this thing..." I mumble, focusing again. "Thundara!" The attack hits the aeon, doing very little damage, if any at all. Anima looks at me, and charges up a beam in its eye, hitting the floor right in front of me. The explosion knocks me to the floor, and I hear Yuna cry out.

"I'm...okay...don't worry." I say, standing back up and curing myself with a Cure spell. "Let's hope this finishes the job...Renzokuken!" Charging up to Anima, I leap up to its face again, and continue where I left off the first time, drawing greater and greater bellows from the aeon, before I jump down and pick the move I hope will end it.

"Blasting Zone!" The familiar beam of energy blasts out of my katana, heading up to the sky and beyond, before I bring it down, smashing into Anima's unprotected head. The aeon gives another mighty screech, before it finally goes limp and fades away.

_(End Ultimecia's first form theme)_

"That power that defeated Anima...it will be mine!" Seymour says, stepping forward again, as I ready both my katana and wakizashi for a final time.

_(Play Ben's theme, Numb)_

"You can keep thinking that. I'm gonna send you to the Farplane!" I roar, charging Seymour, and bringing both swords down, one after the other. Seymour puts another Protect spell up, before blasting me off my feet with a point blank Blizzara attack, sending me skidding across the floor. While I'm down, I get hit by another Thundara spell, making me cry out in pain.

"Ben!" Rikku says, starting to run towards me, but she gets held back by Tidus.

"He said it's his fight. We'll step in if anything goes wrong, but not yet." Auron says, not calming Rikku down any.

Struggling back to my feet, I stifle another cry of pain, and use a Cure spell on myself, sheathing the wakizashi. "Man, but you're persistent. Blizzaga!" I yell, sending the spell at Seymour, which he takes in the chest, knocking the wind out of him slightly. I take that chance to charge back in, hammering furiously at the now reconstructed Protect spell. I keep up the barrage for a moment, and the shield weakens visibly, but doesn't crack.

"Fira!" Seymour yells, hitting me with one Fira spell, then another, almost sending me to the floor again. Stumbling back, I regain my senses long enough to pull out a potion and gulp it down, before channeling my anger into another strike.

"Renzokuken!" Running back up to Seymour, I slash away at the Protect, and after 4 strikes it shatters, allowing me to get 3 slices in on Seymour's unprotected body. Seymour staggers back slightly, and I tense up for what I hope will be the final strike.

"Rough Divide!" Charging back up, I channel every bit of the power I can into a final attack. "Seymour, you're MINE!" I yell, jumping up and slashing straight up Seymour's body, sending him to the floor, bleeding somewhat heavily now. Landing, I try and catch my breath, gulping down an Ether as well to regain some of my magic power. Seymour grunts, standing up slightly, and I tense again, awaiting another attack. Instead, Seymour falls back to his knees. Yuna immediately runs up to him, kneeling down beside him.

_(End Ben's theme)_

"Yuna...you would pity me now?" he asks her, before he slumps onto the floor, lying on his back. Yuna walks over, closing the eyes of the now dead Seymour, as the door to the room opens, Tromell and two other female attendants charging in.

"Lord Seymour!" Tromell cries, running over to the fallen Maester, as I sheath both my swords. "What happened here?" he asks, looking at us with hatred blazing.

"Wait a minute! It's not our fault at all! Seymour struck first! He's the bad guy!" Tidus says, stepping forward. Tromell just stands up, glaring at Tidus.

"You did this?"

"No. I did." I say coolly, staring at Tromell. Tromell turns to me, and advances, seemingly prepared to kill me himself. Before he can get far, I unsheathe my katana, holding it in front of me. "You can join him if you wish."

"Yuna, send him." I hear Auron say, and Tromell turns around, stepping in between Yuna and the fallen Seymour.

"No, stop! Stay away from him, traitors!" he says, and Yuna sinks to her knees.

"Traitors?" she says, in disbelief.

"We're finished." Wakka states, shaking his head.

"Now, hold on just a minute!" Tidus exclaims, looking at all of us. "Seymour's the bad guy, right? We'll just explain to everyone what happened!"

"It won't be that easy..." Auron replies, shaking his head. "Let's get out of here." Everyone moves towards the exit to the room, and I follow, but instead of leaving, I head the opposite way.

"Where are you going?" Rikku asks, running up to me.

"I'm going to the Chamber of the Fayth. I have an aeon to acquire." I tell her, and she grabs my arm.

"No, you can't! Come with us!" she pleads, and I look her in the eyes.

"Rikku, go with the others! I'll be fine, I promise." I reply, but she still doesn't let go.

"I'm coming with you, then!"

"Rikku, no! Go protect Yuna! I'll be okay, I swear. I'll meet up with you later, but you guys have to hurry and get out of here!" I say firmly. Reluctantly, she lets go of my arm, and I give her a quick kiss on the cheek, before vanishing into the Chamber of the Fayth.

* * *

As soon as I enter, I can hear the Hymn playing. Dropping into a kneeling position, I do the prayer gesture, before the image of the fayth appears. This fayth is a young woman, dressed in summoner's robes, but different than Yuna's. A hood covers her head, leaving only her face exposed. 

"I see you have come." she says, and I nod.

"Please, I pray for you to give me the power I need to protect my friends, and help defeat Sin once again." I say, bowing my head. The fayth smiles, before nodding.

"Your resolve is strong, as is the trust you place in your friends. I shall join you, to aid you in protecting them." she says, and after a moment, I can feel the fayth entering my mind. It doesn't leave me woozy this time, as I expected, and for that I'm silently grateful.

"Thank you." I say, before leaving the Chamber, immediately being confronted by two guards, with short swords and shields.

"Murderer! You will not leave this place alive!" one of them tells me, and I draw both of my swords.

"You care to test that?" I say, jumping from the top of the stairs to bring both swords down, slamming into the bucklers of the two guards, before I drop and sweep their legs out from under them. As they fall, I sheath my swords and sprint out the exit, leading back into the Cloister of Trials. Two pieces of the ice bridge have been remade while I was in the Chamber, but the third still is unaccounted for.

"Hey! Down here!" I hear Tidus yell, and I look down, to see the rest of the group solving the Trials.

"You see the sphere over there?" I say, pointing towards the ice ramp. "Put it in the column!" I tell him, Tidus immediately sprinting over to grab the sphere, and placing it in the column. The last section of bridge reappears, and everyone runs back up the ramp. "Let's go!" Charging out into the main area, we're confronted again by several guards, and Tromell.

"Please..." Yuna begins, clasping her hands.

"Give us a chance to explain." Auron says, and Tromell holds a hand up.

"No need. I already know what I'll tell the other maesters."

"Meaning...?" Auron asks, voice dangerously calm.

"Lord Seymour was the leader of the Guado before becoming a Maester." Tromell replies.

"You're not letting us go." Tidus states, and Tromell barks a laugh.

"Let you go? Lord Seymour would never forgive us if we did." he says, and I growl.

"Then we'll just have to clear ourselves a path, now won't we?" I say, narrowing my eyes at Tromell while drawing my katana.

"Wait, wait!" Rikku shouts, jumping in front of us. "Jyscal's sphere! We can show it to them!"

"You mean this?" Tromell says, holding up the sphere, before crushing it in one hand. "The Guado take care of Guado affairs."

"Away!" Kimahri shouts, at the same time Auron does.

"Run!"

"I'll hold them off a moment, you guys get outta here! I'll be right behind you!" I tell them, as they all flee. "Well, who wants to go first?" I say, brandishing my sword, as two of the guards charge me with staves and short swords. Ducking under a staff swing, I parry a slice from the second, before kicking the staff-wielder in the leg, then in the face. Turning, I cut across the sword-wielder's chest, before high-kicking him in the head, and making a dash for the door, bursting out into the cold air. Looking back, I can see a small squad of guards pursuing me, but they're nowhere near as fast as we are.

"Gotta move, gotta move, gotta get back to the lake..." I tell myself, my lungs starting to burn from the running. It's a long run back to the lake, about 2-3 miles I'd say, and I am not very well known for distance sprinting. But, when you're in a life or death situation, you handle just about anything quite well. Up ahead, I can see the rest of the group running as well, no guards in sight. I can also see the last part of the path, right before the lake.

"Almost there!" I yell, and the group turns to look at me, before continuing to run. Finally, we reach the lake, and stop, everyone breathing heavily, even Auron, who seems to never get tired. "Everyone okay?" I ask, and they all nod, before we hear a noise behind us. Turning, we see two more of the Guado guards. Suddenly, a loud roar breaks the silence, and everyone, including the guards, turns to see a Wendigo bearing down on us. Everyone jumps out of the way, as the beast smashes a fist down into the ice. Glaring, I jump over and cut at the beast, earning a slight grunt. The Wendigo turns, and backhands me in the chest, sending me flying over to where the guards are. The next thing I know, I'm being held by both the guards, and the rest of the group is fighting the Wendigo. Growling, I stomp on one guard's foot, causing him to let go, before I swing my now-freed elbow into the bridge of his nose. The other turns, letting my arm go, and I swiftly chop him in the neck, before roundhouse kicking him in the face.

"You traitors! If we cannot dispose of you, we will make sure you die somehow!" one of the guards says, and I think a moment, before my eyes go wide. Suddenly, the two guards begin casting spells on the Wendigo! Shell, Protect, and Berserk go up, before I finally unsheathe my wakizashi and kill the two guards, regaining my katana from its place on the ice.The Wendigo gives a loud roar, before running over and slamming a fist into Tidus' face, knocking him out immediately. Yuna gives a cry, and casts a Life spell on Tidus, who shakes his head and gets back to his feet.

"Dark Attack!" Wakka yells, the blitzball slamming into the creature, but not doing anything other than blinding it. Auron runs in, slashing upwards with a Power Break attack, but the Wendigo blocks, and slams Auron back as well.

"Demi!" Lulu yells, and I silently thank Yevon, the spell knocking the Wendigo completely off its feet, and dealing a good amount of damage.

"Attack, now!" I yell, running in with my swords drawn, before slashing down at the Wendigo, cutting a gash across its leg. Standing up, the beast swings at me, but I duck and cut it across the stomach before jumping back.

"Get back!" I hear Rikku yell, and I hop back, before something flies in and explodes, cutting gashes all over the Wendigo's body.

'_Frag Grenade?' _I think, taking a moment to rest from all the exertion.

"Fira!" Lulu cries, and a ball of flame smashes into the Wendigo, almost setting it ablaze. Thefiend roars again, before charging Lulu, and throwing a punch at her. She barely gets out of the way, but the other fist swings around, sending her to the ground with a cry.

"Lulu!" Wakka yells, head snapping around to look at the fallen black mage. "You'll pay for that!" he cries, spinning his blitzball on his finger for a moment, as it bursts into flame, before he drops it and kicks it, the ball slamming into the creature with a fiery explosion, knocking it back. Tidus takes that moment to strike.

"See ya!" he yells, running up and cutting the Wendigo across the neck, the creature giving a loud roar of pain, and stumbling back. The Wendigo stops, burned, bleeding, and wobbling, before it cries out again, and slams its fists into the ice. Nothing happens for a moment, but suddenly, cracks appear in the ice, then small fissures. After a moment, the Wendigo falls and bursts into pyreflies, but the ice begins to crack even worse, splits appearing near us.

"We have to get off of this!" I yell, sprinting away, but the ice cracks faster, and we all yell, as we're all sent tumbling down into the darkness below the icy lake.

* * *

Well, the end of what I think is the longest chapter yet. They will probably start getting quite long now, as everything has somewhat hit the climax of the story. So, as always, please review! 


	25. Chapter 25: Nature Of Being

Wow, I got a lot of updates for last chapter...people really don't like Seymour.

Nightfire: Duh, what was your first clue?

Oh, shut up, you. Before I decide to kill my co-host over here, on to the replies.

Radzilla: Oh yes, it will be fun to write everyone's reactions to the next fight with Seymour. Tromell plays a part later on, I can't quite remember offhand, but I know in X-2 he becomes important. So, he can't die. Bikanel will be up next in chapter 26, as well, as I haven't quite figured out everything for the opening of that scene yet.

anbu713: All I need now is a superhero costume, lol. But, I just had a bit of inspiration to write that, that's why it got out so fast.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Yow indeed.

Iron Reaver: Yeah, yeah, you're back. Joy to the world. (chuckles)

beastboy-had-a-brain: Indeed he doesn't. He's quite the stubborn one.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: For the moment, anyway...(evil laughter)

ShadowStar05: Matt, glad to see you're reading, and welcome to Destiny's Call! I'll check out your fic when you get it posted.

Gray Wolf Demon: Welcome to Destiny's Call, GWD! Glad to see you're enjoying it!

Storm Dragoness: Welcome to Destiny's Call as well, SD! It's quite interesting to write this, as I try and write from the perspective of what I would do if it actually happened to me right now, then what I would just do for kicks, or such. And yes, Seymour shall return...a lot.

Well, finally, now that that's finished, on with the chapter! This one is more of a small interlude, before Bikanel Desert.

* * *

Chapter 25—Nature Of Being 

Waking up, I groan, looking around immediately for any sign of anyone else. I'm relieved to see everyone up and around, with the exception of Yuna. Yuna is lying on a small stone slab, as I take a closer look around. The area seems to be the ruins of some old city, buried beneath the lake for years upon years. The water only goes up to our ankles, and I'm thankful for that, uttering a silent prayer of thanks to Yevon.

"Everyone okay?" I ask, and I receive scattered nods and words of agreement.

"We're okay, but Yuna seems hurt." Tidus says, motioning to the summoner. Nodding slowly, I walk over and sit down, taking the moment to examine my Sphere Grid, and place a few more gathered spheres into it. I realize that everything that's happening won't be easy to deal with.

'_Blasted Guado...I'll make them pay for this...'_

"I'm sure Yunie's okay. She's breathing fine and all." Rikku says, walking up to the two of us. "How are Lulu and Wakka?"

"Well, Wakka's in shock. Can't blame him, either." Tidus replies, looking at the Al Bhed. "And Lulu, well, she's just the same as always."

"She's so together." Rikku says, cutting a glance at the older woman. "All grown up, I guess."

"I guess." Tidus agrees, looking back at Yuna.

"Well, just give me five or six more years." Rikku says, grinning.

"Rikku, in five or six more years, I bet you'll still be the same!" I tell her, laughing softly.

"Haha. Funny." she says, flicking some water at me.

"Rao, ed'c dra dnidr!" I protest, laughing harder now, as Tidus gives us both strange looks, before walking over to Kimahri.

"So, Kimahri, how do we get out of here?" he asks the Ronso, and Rikku gives him a small bump.

"Hey, don't change the subject!" she says, and I chuckle.

"We climb." Kimahri answers simply, pointing up.

"Kimahri, too!" Rikku says, still smiling.

"Only those who try will become." Kimahri says, looking solemnly at Rikku, who looks puzzled now.

"Huh?" she says, and Tidus decides to field the answer for once.

"I think he means you have to work hard if you want to be like Lulu." he responds, and Rikku brightens immediately.

"Oh! I will!" she chirps happily, until Kimahri shakes his head slowly.

"Kimahri think Rikku should stay Rikku." he says, and Rikku frowns.

"Hey!" she exclaims, walking up to Kimahri. "Are you saying I'll never be like Lulu? Kimahri!" she says, determined to get a response from the Ronso. I just chuckle, speaking up.

"Rikku, what he means is, each of us has a personality all our own, and we shouldn't try and copy anyone else's. We're all special the way we are." Rikku looks at me, and frowns a bit, before smiling, Tidus laughing at Rikku, as Wakka walks up.

"How can you laugh at a time like this?" he says, and I'm just about to respond when a groan catches my attention. Turning quickly, I see Yuna stirring from the place she's laying on, and I run to her side, Tidus right beside me.

"Yuna!" he cries, kneeling down beside her for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." she says softly, before sitting upright and facing us.

"So, what exactly were you doing, or planning on doing, at the temple, Yuna?" I ask, and cross my arms, leaning against a piece of rock.

"I wanted to confront Maester Seymour about his father, Lord Jyscal." Yuna begins, looking down. "I wanted to convince him to turn himself in to Yevon's judgement.

"In exchange for marriage?" Lulu says, looking at the younger girl.

"Yes, if that's what it took." Yuna says, nodding.

"So, what did Seymour say?" Tidus asks.

"He didn't say anything." she replies, standing up. "Now...now I don't even think it was worth it. I should've told you what I was going to do."

"Enough." Auron cuts in, looking at us. "Dwelling in the past is futile."

"Hey!" Rikku exclaims, obviously annoyed. "You don't have to say it like that!"

"You want to waste time listening to her regrets?" he says flatly, and I can see Tidus clench a fist, probably unconsciously. It ticks me off a little, too, to hear him put it like that.

"You don't have to say it like that." she says, turning to Yuna.

"Our immediate concern is Yuna's pilgrimage." he says, turning back to the summoner. "Are you willing to go on?"

"Yes." she tells him, nodding. "But then, do you think Yevon will allow it?" she asks, meekly.

"The fayth are the ones that give power to the summoners. Not the temples or the teachings. If the temples try to stop us...then we will defy Yevon if we must." Auron replies, causing everyone to gasp except me.

"Whoa!" Tidus exclaims, Rikku following soon after.

"I can't believe you said that!" she cries, looking at Auron in disbelief.

"Sir Auron?" Lulu exclaims, completely startled by Auron's statement.

"Auron's right." I say, causing everyone to look at me. "We can't quit now, just because of those Guado thinking we're the traitors. We've come to far to give up now, and I for one don't intend to see Yuna's pilgrimage stopped by a stupid thing like this." I tell them, adamantly.

"Count me out." Wakka says, waving a hand. "We have to atone, to make up for the sins we have committed. Of course...it's not like I ever liked Maester Seymour, ya? No way I'll ever forgive him for killing Lord Jyscal. And for trying to do us all in too, you know? But still, the bunch of us, going against Yevon? No way!"

"You act as if we don't have a chance, Wakka. I can say for a fact that we can do it." I reply, raising an eyebrow at Wakka.

"But still, we have transgressed and must face our punishment." Lulu argues, looking at me.

"We must go to Bevelle." Yuna breaks in. "We must speak with Maester Mika and explain what has happened. There is no other way, I think."

"I agree." Wakka says, nodding.

"Sir Auron..." Yuna says, trailing off.

"So it is decided." he says, looking off somewhere else.

"Will you come with us?" she asks him, clasping her hands. Auron turns to her, nodding.

"I am the troublemaker, after all." he says, and I stifle a laugh.

"Yeah, that's right!" Tidus says, clenching a fist. "You can always count on Auron to complicate things!" I just laugh at that, Rikku jumping up and down excitedly.

"Yeah! Kimahri roars, and Auron runs off, and..."

"I never asked you to follow me." Auron says, cutting Rikku off mid-sentence.

"Hey, but that's what friends are for, right?" Tidus asks Auron, who just stands still.

"Yep!" Rikku says. Still chuckling, I walk over and place an arm around her, causing her to look at me and giggle.

"Thank you." Yuna says, looking at Tidus, who sheepishly nods and scratches the back of his head, as Auron walks away a bit.

"Friends, huh?" Rikku says, looking at everyone. Wakka just shakes his head, looking around at us; myself, Rikku, and Tidus in particular.

"Man, how can you all act like nothing's wrong? Must got nerves of steel or something." he says, and I nod at Wakka.

"It takes a lot to get me on edge now. Angry, not a whole lot, but worried? Hard to do." I tell him, and he just shakes his head again.

"You're too edgy. Listen to the hymn and calm down." Lulu tells him, and I look at her, confused for a moment, before listening. Surely enough, I can hear the Hymn of the Fayth playing, and I start to sing along softly with it, earning a strange look from Rikku.

"Is that coming from the temple?" Tidus asks, and Yuna nods.

"Yes, it is Yevon's gift. It soothes the hearts of the faithful." she replies, and Tidus seems to understand, nodding, before walking off towards Auron. Continuing to sing, I lean back against one of the rock walls, and close my eyes, clearing my mind of everything. After a moment, I start to think something's going on, and I open my eyes. When I do, I find Yuna, Rikku, Wakka, and Lulu staring at me.

"What?" I say, grinning.

"Nothing, nothing at all..." Rikku says, mischievously, and I chuckle, shaking my head.

"Is my singing that bad?" I ask, and she just giggles. I'm about to reply, but suddenly, the music just stops.

"The singing stopped." Lulu states, and after a moment, the ground begins shaking, everyone looking around for something to hang onto.

"There's something here!" Wakka yells, grabbing onto a nearby piece of rock.

"The ground!" Auron cries, and everyone looks down, before looking up to see...

"Sin?" Yuna exclaims, a hand flying to her mouth in shock, Wakka and Rikku gasping. Instinctively, I draw my sword, preparing for anything.

"The toxin! Watch out!" Lulu says, and everyone steps away from the floating monster slightly, before I suddenly start to feel dizzy and lightheaded. The last thing I see, is everyone wobbling, and slumping to the ground, before I feel myself falling as well, the darkness claiming me.

* * *

Now, onwards to the desert, and the Al Bhed home! What will happen there...you'll just have to see. Mwahaha! As always, please review! 


	26. Chapter 26: Downfall

Wow, lots of reviews for last chapter, considering it was just an interlude for the most part. Oh well, on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Funny, real funny, ya know?

anbu713: Heh, I read that part, nicely written as well. This part's the escape from Home, get ready!

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: I shall 'mwahaha' whoever I wish! Mwahaha! (chuckles) And actually, 'meanie' is Rinoa's word. (whistles)

Iron Reaver: You, sir, shall pay. And not with Mastercard either.

ShadowStar05: Heh, for the first time, anyway...

Gray Wolf Demon: Hehe, I've updated!

desert-tiger: Welcome to Destiny's Call, tiger! Oh yes, Home is quite the dramatic scene. And it just gets better at Bevelle.

Gester: Welcome to Destiny's Call, Gester! I'll check out your fic; I don't know too much of FF7, but I'll read anyway if I can. You think my character is too powerful? I don't think I've done anything really extraordinary yet, but that's your opinion, you're welcome to it. I have noticed that I seem to take charge, but really, that's just how I am. If there is a leader, I'll follow. If there isn't, I take charge more often than not.

Jiranto Valsis: Heh, no problem on the lack of reviews. Thanks for being honest, too. I actually had a reason for the legendary weapons being introduced. Let me explain. I'm going based on what I think I would do, if I ended up in Spira. I figure, that it's better for us to have them, regardless of how we find them, and not need them for Sin, then to wind up there and find out are weapons are ineffective. Better safe than sorry, in other words. It won't be gone into further until after Bevelle, when the group is together once again, though. Putting up with honesty isn't a problem for me, either. I like hearing people's opinions.

Well, now that that's out of the way, onward to Home!

* * *

Chapter 26—Downfall 

Waking up, the high afternoon sun is the first thing that greets me, shining down mercilessly upon the sandy ground.

"Bikanel Desert. Home of the Al Bhed." I say to myself, getting up, and re-sheathing the sword I still held in my right hand, as well as shaking my head to clear it. Looking around, I don't immediately see anyone, and that worries me for a moment. Since this desert is so expansive, I could've been dropped anywhere. I might not be close to anyone.

"Hey! Ben! Over here, ya?"

Suddenly, a voice knocks me out of my contemplation, and I look to my left to see Wakka approaching, blitzball in hand. Well, one fear shot down.

"Wakka. Glad to see someone else. Seen any of the others?" I ask him, and he shakes his head.

"I guess Sin brought us here. Wherever 'here' is, I mean. I haven't seen any of the others, either." he replies, and I shake my head, muttering a curse word in Al Bhed under my breath.

"Bikanel Desert. That's where we are. This place is huge, too. It might take us a while to find them." I tell him, and he points to a destroyed machina, half buried in the sand.

"Well, I found that, and was sitting near it. Maybe we can stay there, and hope they find us, ya?"

Nodding, I start to walk over to the pile of metal. "Probably the best thing to do, in this situation." I say, sitting down on the hot sand beside it, as Wakka does the same.

* * *

Pretty soon, probably 15 minutes later, I can make out something in the distance. Closing my left eye, and squinting, I can just make out a red coat. 

"Auron!" I say, startling Wakka, almost causing him to fall over.

"Sir Auron? Where?" he asks, and I point into the distance, where Auron, and what looks like Tidus and Lulu are approaching us. Standing up, I give a loud whistle, and wave to them, Tidus waving and whistling back to confirm that they heard me. After they get to us, Tidus is the first to speak.

"Wakka, Ben! You two alone?" he asks, and I nod.

"Where's Yuna?" Wakka asks, and we all look at each other, before Wakka growls. "Dammit! First I lose Yuna, then I'm ambushed by machina!" he says, kicking the pile of metal. "Great day I'm having."

"Stupid as this may sound, considering we're in a desert and all, it needs to be said. Cool it, Wakka." I tell him. "Getting mad won't do us any good. We need to keep our heads and search for them."

"The boy is right." Auron says, nodding. "Let's go."

Beginning to head north, or at least what I think is north, we keep finding more and more destroyed machina. Seems like there was a lot of fighting out here, or failed tests of some sort. The Al Bhed must've been busy. Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of something, and turn to look at it.

"Hey, there's Kimahri!" I tell Auron, noticing the Ronso attempting to climb a sand dune, and failing quite miserably, his large bulk simply sliding down the smooth sand. After a minute of running towards him, Kimahri notices us, and turns, standing up tall, but hanging his head slightly.

"What's wrong, Kimahri?" Tidus asks the Ronso, and Kimahri shakes his head.

"Yuna...gone." he replies, and Tidus puts a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Kimahri!" he tells him, and everyone nods. Kimahri looks up, and nods too, as Auron speaks.

"Let's keep moving. We found Kimahri, we should find the others soon." he says, and all of us nod again, beginning to trudge through the hot desert once again.

* * *

I can't tell how long has passed between the time we found Kimahri, and right now, but it seems like an eternity. I can't stand the heat, and I'm sweating profusely because of it. It's driving me insane, but I have to go on. 

"Hey, there's someone!" Tidus yells, grabbing our attention. Everyone looks, and I notice who it is immediately.

"Rikku!" I yell, catching her attention, and she waves back, running towards us, as we run to meet her. Embracing her in a hug, I smile.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, and she nods.

"I'm fine." she says, looking at our group. "Hey, where's Yunie?" she asks, a look of concern on her face.

"Gone." Tidus replies simply, almost the same time that Lulu speaks up.

"Gone...some guardian I am." Lulu says, lowering her head slightly.

Rikku looks a little unnerved at this point, fidgeting a little, and looking around. "Umm...there's something I want to tell you, but promise not to say anything." she says, Wakka glaring at her. "No glaring either!" she yells, annoyed. "I know where we are. We're on Bikanel Island. There's a place us Al Bhed call Home near here. Yunie's there, I'm sure of it! Other Al Bhed must've come and rescued her!"

Wakka looks a little skeptical at this, crossing his arms somewhat angrily. "Rescued? You mean kidnapped." he says, and Tidus growls, stepping in between myself, Rikku, and Wakka.

"What does it matter as long as she's safe?" he says, Wakka just maintaining the same expression.

"That's right!" Rikku agrees, and I nod as well, as she continues. "Anyway, I will take you there if you promise...that you won't tell anyone about it. Especially not Yevonites, okay? You know they don't like us Al Bhed. Who knows what they'll do if they knew?" Wakka just snorts, looking back at Rikku.

"Gimme a break. What are you accusing Yevon of this time?"

"She's not accusing anyone of anything, Wakka. She's trying to keep her people safe from harm. Put yourself in their shoes, wouldn't you do the same if you were her?" I say, interrupting his little tirade. Wakka looks at me, glaring, and I glare right back. He just won't quit his racist statements.

"Can we just go already? We need to find Yuna!" Tidus says, thoroughly annoyed at myself and Wakka.

"Fine, let's go, let's go!" I say, and Rikku just looks back at Wakka.

"Just promise you won't tell anyone about this island. Promise?" she asks, and Wakka looks hesitant.

"Wakka, come on!" Tidus yells, and Wakka shakes his head.

"All right, I promise! Lead the way." he says, and Rikku smiles.

"You got it!" she says, sprinting off, the rest of us following.

* * *

After another 5 minutes of running, Rikku stops us. "Over here!" she says, climbing up a sand dune. We're just about to follow, when Rikku screams. 

"Rikku!" Tidus and I cry, running up the sand dune and joining her. The sight that greets us is awful. The Al Bhed home is being destroyed, fires and fiends everywhere, along with the sounds of gunfire. Everyone else scrambles up the dune, and gasps at the sight.

"What? Yuna's down there?" Wakka exclaims.

"Of all the places...let's go!" Lulu says, and we all rush down the sand dune to join the fight, hoping to save not only Yuna, but the Al Bhed as well. No more than a minute later, we're inside Home, running past Guado and Al Bhed alike, looking frantically for Yuna. Suddenly, an Al Bhed soldier falls over, clutching a stomach wound, and Rikku gasps, running over to him.

"Keyakku!" she yells, kneeling down beside him. "Who? Who's attacking us? Fru tet drec du oui?" she asks, and Keyakku raises his head weakly.

"Yevon...Guado..." he manages to say, before his head drops back down, eyes glazed over in death, as pyreflies start to leak from his body.

"Keyakku? Keyakku!" Rikku exclaims, fighting back tears. I just put an arm around her shoulder, looking quietly at the deceased soldier.

"We'll avenge him...don't worry." I say, drawing my katana.

"A war? Between Yevon and the Al Bhed?" Lulu asks, looking at us.

"Dryd ec fnuhk. Guado ku vun dra summoner." a voice to our left says, and we turn, to see a bald man approaching. Rikku stands up, and walks towards the man.

"Vydran..." she says, as the man kneels beside Keyakku, and checks for a pulse, finding none. Rikku looks on the verge of tears now, and I just growl, as the man turns to us.

"You Rikku's friends?" he asks, and I nod. "Well, don't just stand there, come on! Let's go kick those Guado out of our home!" he says, running off into Home, everyone following except me, Rikku, and Tidus.

"Who...?" Tidus asks, and Rikku looks at him, eyes shining.

"Cid. Leader of the Al Bhed...he's my dad." she says, and Tidus nods.

"Let's go." he says, Rikku and I nodding as well.

"Yeah. We have to save Yunie." she replies, and Tidus smiles.

"Not only Yuna. Right?" he asks, and she smiles.

"Right!" she says, and the three of us sprint off after the others.

As we run inside, we find the others in battle with a few Guado soldiers, Lulu, Auron, and Wakka quickly cutting them down, as Kimahri watches their backs.

"Yuna! Where are you?" Wakka yells, and suddenly another Guado and 3 Bomb fiends swoop down and attack us, Wakka immediately hurling the blitzball at one of the Bombs. The blitzball knocks the Bomb back, the other two immediately casting a Fira spell on Wakka, sending him back slightly, burned. Quickly, I cast a Cure spell on him, and proceed to run up and cut one of the Bombs with my sword, which causes it to use one of its special abilities. It explodes. I'm sent flying back, landing on my back on the ground, wincing as the dirt and rocks dig into my back.

"Ben!" Rikku says, dodging a slash from the Guado, as Auron runs in and cuts the soldier down. Lulu casts a Blizzara spell on one Bomb, causing it to freeze up and fall. Kimahri slashes the other Bomb, which also promptly explodes, sending him to the dirt as well. Casting a Cure spell on myself, I stand up and cast one on Kimahri.

"What in Yevon's name are those Guado thinking?" Wakka exclaims, shaking his head.

"This is terrible!" Rikku says, looking around, as we all run to the next area. Arriving, the first thing we hear is Cid's voice, over a loudspeaker system of some sort.

"Drec pedac! Rikku, oui nayt sa? Oui ku ihtan, duu! E ys majamehk Home! Yht dra fiend fedr ed!" he says, and I barely catch the translation, eyes widening.

"Oh no!" Rikku exclaims, and I turn to everyone.

"What'd he say?" Wakka yells, and I look at him.

"We've gotta get below ground, now!" I yell, looking around for any stairs leading down. I know that the Summoner's Sanctum is below ground, but I don't see the stairs.

"Where's Yuna?" Auron asks, and Rikku turns to him, pointing off in front of us.

"The Summoner's Sanctum! This way!" she yells, running off, but suddenly, we're ambushed by a small group of fiends, 2 Dingos and a flying eyeball type fiend, that I can't quite remember the name of. It doesn't take us but a minute to dispatch the trio, and soon, we're following Rikku down a stair set, headed underground, hopefully to safety.

"Over here!" she says, running inside a room, and finding the same amount of chaos and decimation that taints the ground above. Rikku's face falls, and I walk over beside her, remaining silent, as Wakka sums up everyone's thoughts in one sentence.

"This place done for."

"You're right. You're right, Wakka." she says, sadly, looking around at the room, dotted with fires, cracks, and other destruction. "We Al Bhed, we...we weren't always like this. Sin destroyed the island where we all used to live. After that, we were scattered to every corner of Spira. But then, my dad brought the Al Bhed together again. If we put our minds to it and worked together, we could build a new home. Everyone worked hard, we had our Home back again...but now...why did things have to turn out this way?" she continues, a small tear falling from her eye, as a low growl catches our attention from beside us. Looking, we see two Vouivre fiends, one on either side of us. A minute later, they burst into pyreflies, courtesy of my sword in one's skull, and Auron's sword, cleaving another in half.

"Rikku..." Wakka trails off, looking around. "Damn those Guado! What are they thinking?" he says, as Rikku leads us down another set of stairs, at the far side of the room.

"Rikku, what is the Summoner's Sanctum?" Lulu asks, as we run down a hallway underground.

"The Summoner's Sanctum is where we keep the summoners. We keep them safe there." she replies, Wakka frowning.

"You kidnapped them." he states, and Rikku nods.

"I know it's against the teachings and all that, but..." she begins, but is cut off by Wakka.

"I get why you did it, but..." This time, it's Wakka's turn to get cut off, Tidus interrupting, and I think a moment, before mentally cringing, knowing what's about to happen.

"Well, I sure don't get it, Wakka. They might get hurt on their pilgrimage, so you kidnap them? I mean, if the summoners don't do their job, then who will beat Sin? You want to protect them, I know. But guardians are there for that. If guardians do their job well, summoners will be safe!" Tidus says, all of us remaining silent. "Right?" he repeats, everyone still remaining quiet. "Right?" he says, a bit more insistently, and I interrupt, seeing a third set of stairs in front of us.

"Is this the Sanctum?" I ask Rikku, who nods, looking down the stairs, which are too dark to see down, really. Kimahri steps forward, looking down into the darkness.

"It's quiet. Kimahri goes now." the Ronso says, walking down the stairs, everyone closely behind him, ready for anything.

As we all make our way down the stairs, the area becomes brighter, until we're standing in a lit room at last. Rikku takes one look, and gasps. I see why after a moment. There are small fires in the room, scattered throughout it, and dead Al Bhed and Guado soldiers, lying on the floor, with pyreflies hovering around slowly.

"Yuna!" Kimahri roars, and Dona and Isaaru walk towards us, their guardians nearby.

"She's not here." Dona says, looking at us. "Hello again. Wait there till we have performed the sending."

"They died...protecting us." Isaaru says, speaking up. "The least we can do is give them a proper sending. I nod slowly at this. I would help perform the sending, but I don't have a staff. After a moment, Pacce runs up to Tidus, looking up at the taller teen.

"Hey, what's 'sacrificed'?" he asks, Tidus looking down in confusion. "The Al Bhed said summoners were being sacrificed. That summoners shouldn't have to do a pilgrimage..."

"Why couldn't they trust guardians to protect summoners..." Tidus breaks in, staring at Pacce. "The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage!"

"The pilgrimages have to stop!" Rikku exclaims suddenly, causing Tidus to turn to her, as she walks up to look at him. "If they don't, and they get to Zanarkand...they might defeat Sin. Yunie could...but then she...Yunie will die, you know?" Rikku says, eyes full of grief and anguish over Yuna. "You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon. Yuna told you, didn't she? With the Final Aeon, she can beat Sin...but then...if she calls it, then the Final Aeon's gonna kill her. Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Yunie too, you know?" she finishes, dropping to her knees, as I walk to her side, kneeling down to console her as she cries softly.

"Was I the only one who didn't know?" Tidus says, looking down at Rikku. "Tell me why! Why were you hiding it? Why didn't I know?" he says, forcefully, as Wakka and Lulu step closer.

"We weren't hiding it..." Wakka says, looking down.

"It was just...too hard to say." Lulu states, looking at Tidus solemnly. Tidus looks at them for a moment, before screaming, and falling to his knees.

"Lulu!" he yells. "How could you? How could you? Isn't she like a sister to you? I thought you were family!" he exclaims, glaring at Lulu, before shifting his gaze to Wakka. "Why don't you do something, Wakka?"

"Don't you think we tried to stop her?" Lulu retaliates, more forcefully than usual. "She follows...her heart."

"Yuna, she knew what she was doing when she chose to become a summoner. To face Sin, ya? Yuna knew!" Wakka exclaims, staring Tidus in the eyes.

"But, Wakka, that's just totally wrong!" Rikku says, standing up again, wiping her eyes. "Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves...just so the rest of Spira can be happy, right?" As Rikku finishes speaking, I glance over, and notice a group of pyreflies, merging with each other, a Wendigo fiend appearing in a small flash of light. I draw my sword, but Isaaru and Dona step forward, standing in front of the fiend.

"But that is our choice..." Isaaru says, Dona nodding.

"We all live in fear of Sin. You know that." she says, Isaaru preparing to summon an aeon, Dona following suit.

"A world without Sin...that is the dream of all Yevon's children. And we will use that power, even if it means our lives!" he exclaims, as Valefor and Ifrit suddenly appear, beginning to fight the Wendigo with a roar.

"And I've been telling Yuna, 'Let's go to Zanarkand together!'" Tidus says, apparently talking to himself. "I told her all the things we could...we could...but Yuna, she'd...just smile." he says, as the Wendigo roars, bursting back into pyreflies from a Sonic Wings attack by Valefor, the aeons vanishing again. Tidus stands up, clenching a fist then, and I walk over to him.

"I can't let her die! I'll find her!" he exclaims, and I look at him solemnly.

"Then let's stop all the moaning about not knowing, and let's take action! Let's find Yuna, and make sure she's safe!" I tell him, looking at everyone. Rikku nods, and motions for us to follow, running back up the stairs. All of us follow, Dona, Isaaru, and their guardians, as Rikku leads us down another hallway, and then up another flight of stairs. What we find inside, is an enormous airship, similar to the one the Al Bhed used to fight Sin in Operation Mi'ihen. I stare in awe at the massive vessel, before Rikku slaps me on the shoulder lightly, snapping me out of my daze. Following everyone inside, I head for the bridge, Tidus in front of me, as we take the stairs up. Arriving at the bridge, I see Brother in what I assume to be the pilot's chair, and Cid standing in the middle of the bridge, near a large sphere of light. Running towards him, I hear him talking to Brother.

"Hu desa! Ku, ku, ku!" he tells Brother, who looks back at him from the seat.

"Three minutes mavd!" he replies, and Cid looks anxious at this.

"Rinno, rinno! Oui ryja one minute!" he tells Brother, who turns back, beginning to mess with the controls in front of him. Tidus and I get near him at this point, and Tidus speaks.

"Where's Yuna?" he asks, and Cid just looks at Brother, telling him something else.

"Ajanouha uh puynt?" he asks, speaking again after a moment. "Ajanouha ymeja!" he exclaims, as Tidus puts a hand on Cid's shoulder, spinning him around, as everyone else runs in.

"I said, where is she? Answer me! Answer me, damn you!" he exclaims, furious, and Cid removes his hand, looking him in the eyes with a stern gaze.

"What'll you do when you find her, eh?" he asks, Tidus looking down.

"I didn't know anything about what a summoner is supposed to do. And I told her all those things without even knowing. I've got to tell her. I've got to tell her I'm sorry!" he exclaims, annoyed, and Cid's gaze turns into a glare.

"That's it? You're just gonna tell her you're sorry?" he says, throwing his hands in the air. "And then you just drag her to Zanarkand and make her fight Sin, huh? You're all the same—let the summoner die so we can live in peace!" he says, grabbing Tidus and flipping him, Tidus ending up on his back, on the floor, as I step forward, in between the two.

"No! I'm not gonna let Yuna die!" Tidus says, from his new position on the floor. Cid just snorts.

"Hah! Words! Show me action!" he insists, and Tidus stands up, locking eyes with the older man.

"I'm telling you, she won't die!" Tidus repeats, and Cid nods slowly.

"Boy, don't forget those words, 'cause if you do...I'm gonna make you regret it." Cid says, threateningly, and Tidus nods.

"I won't." he says, as Cid turns back to the sphere of light, which I recognize as the tracking device, though I can't remember the name.

"So, you know where she is?" Tidus asks Cid, who turns to him again.

"Course not. That's why we're gonna look! Using this airship!" Cid says, and Wakka looks a little stunned.

"A-Airship?" he says, as the ship rumbles, Brother in the pilot seat, still fiddling with the control panel.

'_Little slow on the uptake, there, Wakka.' _I think, chuckling inwardly.

"Vydran! Nayto du ku!" Brother says, looking back at Cid.

"Oaaryy! Y vmekrd 1000 years ujantia!" Cid exclaims, raising a fist in the air, as the ship continues to rumble, and through the front window I can see two enormous panels open up, sand spilling into the now-revealed hangar. The airship gives a last, mighty rumble, before beginning to lift off, and out of the bay, floating up into the air like a great bird.

"Fruy! Ed sujac!" Brother says, awed.

"Necg pek, feh pek!" Cid says, and I chuckle at the statement. Win big, indeed. We're now fully off the ground, the airship turning slowly, before flying away from home, several flying fiends attempting to chase and attack us, but quickly getting left behind by this gigantic ship.

"Fruy! Ed vmeac!" Brother exclaims again, excited at the functionality of the ship.

"Haqd, fa ica dryd!" Cid says, pointing to a series of buttons on the control panel. I can make out the word 'weapon' in Al Bhed, and so I assume it's the missile commands. Brother looks down, then back up at Cid, nodding slowly.

"Frydajan oui cyo." Brother says, solemnly, beginning to punch several buttons on the console, also beginning to sing the Hymn of the Fayth. Cid joins in, as well as the other Al Bhed after a moment. Realizing what's about to happen, I begin to sing too, out of reverence. Rikku looks quite sad, and honestly, I can't blame her.

"What's going on?" Wakka asks, looking at Rikku, who turns to face him slowly.

"We're...we're going to blow up our Home." she says after a moment.

"How?" Lulu asks, looking at Rikku as well.

"With one of the forbidden machina!" Cid says, having overheard the query, before turning back to Brother. "Nayto?" he asks, and Brother gives a small nod. "Vena!" Suddenly, a series of small panels on the side of the ship open up, and a large salvo of missiles, probably 3 dozen total, fly out of the sides and turn around, headed back towards the Al Bhed home. Peering out the side window, I can just make out the missiles' trails, and the massive explosion that overtakes the area after a moment, completely decimating anything around. The explosion inches closer to the airship, before engulfing us completely, as the airship speeds up and out of the explosion, jetting off into the sky, leaving the flaming ruins of the once-proud Al Bhed home behind.

"Gah-hah-hah-hah! Nadinh du cyht!" Cid says, and I hear a small sniff, looking over to see Brother, sobbing quietly over the loss.

"Hu haat vun daync!" Cid tells Brother, who looks up at him. "Fryd ec kuut ypuid machina, ec drao lyh pa piemd yhaf, oui caa?"

"Ra'c nekrd, oui ghuf." I tell Brother, and Cid gives me a strange look.

"Oui cbayg Al Bhed?" he asks, and I nod.

"Rikku dyikrd sa." I reply, pointing at her, Rikku giving a small nod at her father.

"Hey, look, don't get so down." Wakka says, walking over to Rikku. "Boom! Like happy festival fireworks, ya?" he tells her, and I can almost see Rikku's eye twitching, as she glares at Wakka.

"You can cram your happy festival, you big meanie!" she tells him, stalking off, as Wakka hangs his head. Tidus walks back up to Cid, having walked away to look around the bridge.

"Did you find out anything about Yuna?" he asks, and Cid shakes his head.

"I'm lookin' into it, okay?" he replies, causing Tidus to sigh. "Don't worry. I'm using a sphere oscillo-finder. If she's out there, we'll get her." I snap my fingers softly, now remembering the name.

"A sphere oscillo-finder?" Tidus queries, equally as confused as I am.

"It's an ancient machina." he says, and I quirk an eyebrow. "I don't know how it works either, so don't ask me, okay?" he adds after a moment, and I almost laugh. Funny how the new machina fail almost every time, but something as old as this thing works perfectly.

"And you still use it?" Lulu asks, crossing her arms. Cid laughs, turning to her.

"I don't even rightly know how this rig flies, either! All because of the Yevon taboo on machina, we're running around in the dark here! Ain't it a rush, kiddos?" he tells her, and this time I do laugh.

"Let me take a look at the computer stuff. I might be able to figure something out. Anything's better than what we're working with now, huh?" I ask him, and after a moment, he nods.

"Alright, see what you can do." he says, and I nod, walking over to one of the consoles, and beginning to examine it.

"Yuna...just hang on. We're coming." I say to myself, before beginning to work on the instrument.

* * *

Quite the long chapter there, but now, it's rescue time! What'll happen when they find Yuna? Keep reading to find out, and as always, please review! 


	27. Chapter 27: Delusions Of Grandeur

Well, lots of reviews this time as well...I feel pretty happy that people are actually liking this so much.

Iron Reaver: You don't wanna know. We'd probably all die, but that's just me.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Uh...trying to cure your short-term memory loss?

anbu713: Thanks for paying attention, that little error has been rectified. I'll review your story too, I haven't gotten the chance to read again yet.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: I don't know...I haven't planned that far ahead yet.

ShadowStar05: Thanks.

Gester: Well, I try, they did a great job in the original game giving me plenty to work with, and so I try to make it a little more elaborate.

desert-tiger: Well, here's Bevelle, hope you enjoy it!

beastboy-had-a-brain: Yeah, I think it's better, hopefully you will too.

gsa: I would say welcome, but it seems like you reviewed simply to flame, and not very well at that. Your reason was a very poor one, based on the fact that if you have played the game, which I am assuming you have, you would know it's more of a drama. Not much cursing, either, and I don't intend to deviate from that. Read on if you wish, but don't flame anymore with a reason such as that.

Jiranto Valsis: Yeah, what's that saying about curiosity killing something...heh heh heh...anyway. This chapter will be a little longer, and a lot more action. Enjoy.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: I have no idea as to what you are referring to. My evil laughter was purely in the most innocent sense, you know. (coughs)

Harry4: Welcome to Destiny's Call, Harry! Nice to see someone else reading. I'm not gonna kick Seymour's tail at Bevelle. Maybe later, but he doesn't get it just yet.

Alright, now, finally on with the chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 27—Delusions Of Grandeur 

About 30 minutes later, or at least I think that's how long it's been, I stand up from my chair, stretching. Between my knowledge of computers, and a good bit of trial and error, I've managed to figure out the controls for the auto-pilot, and the destination settings. The coordinate system works one of two ways. You can either put in a specific set of coordinates, or move a set of arrows over a specific location, and scan it. The former is more accurate, but the latter is better to use when you aren't completely sure where something is. As I stand up, I notice Auron walk in the door to the bridge, and walk up to Cid, looking him in the eyes.

"After rescuing Yuna, then what? You want to keep her safe, correct? Would you seek to stop her pilgrimage?" he asks, and Cid looks up at him, with what appears to be a twinge of anger in his eyes.

"Of course! If she continues this fool pilgrimage, she will die!" he says, emphasizing the last three words. "Sure as if you killed her yourself. No hair-brained law or teaching can send my little niece to her death! When I save her, I'll make her give up being a summoner faster than a desert melts ice!" he exclaims, and Auron nods.

"Even against her will?" he questions, and Cid nods.

"Better than a dog's death! And I'll take down anyone who don't agree!"

"Wound you be willing to take down your own niece, then?" I cut in, looking over at the elder Al Bhed. Turning to me, Cid gives a mixture of a confused look and a glare.

"What are you talking about, boy?" he asks, crossing his arms.

"I'm saying this. Yuna is strong-spirited. I've been around her since she started her pilgrimage, and I can see that, clear as day. If you try to make her give up being a summoner, I'd be willing to bet everything I have on me right now that she would go against you to continue anyway." I tell him, and he does glare this time.

"You think she would?" he says, voice low.

"I don't think. I know she would." I say, and Cid gives another look at me.

"Vydran! Fa vuiht Yuna!" Brother exclaims, and I smile, knowing where we are.

"Frana?" Cid yells, and Brother looks back at him.

"E femm cruf oui!" After a moment, a fuzzy picture starts playing on a sphere screen over the bridge. Yuna is standing at the top of a large set of stairs, with an enormous building behind them. She's also dressed in a somewhat skimpy wedding dress. Seymour is standing beside her, dressed in a rather elaborate set of robes. Maester Mika is also there, standing to Seymour's left, and two armed guards, holding rifles, stand to either side of Yuna and Mika. Numerous other guards are there as well, all armed with various weapons, and several civilians are also present. The screen goes white after a moment, and I notice Tidus' mouth hanging open.

"Yuna?" he says after a moment, before turning to Brother and Cid. "Where was that?"

"The Palace of St. Bevelle." Lulu responds, the rest of the group walking up to us. "Heart of Yevon."

"Gramps, let's move!" Tidus insists, looking at Cid enthusiastically, as Cid just shakes his head.

"Easy, kiddo. Bevelle's defenses are top-notch." Cid responds, waving a hand in the air to dismiss the comment.

"What's the matter, Gramps?" Tidus says, clenching a fist. "You scared? Yuna's there, so we go and get her! And that's all!" he yells, Cid looking at him as if he were crazy, before sighing.

"You got guts." he tells him, turning to Brother. "Cad luinca du Bevelle! Vimm cbaat yrayt!" Cid yells, Brother nodding in agreement.

"Nukan!" he replies, the airship suddenly speeding up, everyone staggering a little, Tidus falling, and the rest of us having to grab onto something.

"It'll take a while to get to Bevelle." Cid says. "Meanwhile..."

"We prepare for battle!" Tidus interrupts, Cid looking at him with a nod.

"So, exactly what happened to Yuna? Did you guys find her, and then they took her, or what?" I ask Cid, the older man turning to me.

"They grabbed Yuna back in the Sanubia Desert. One of the Guado squads that attacked Home found her." he replies, and I give a look of acceptance.

"I see." I say, Rikku turning at us with a slight look of shock and confusion written on her face.

"What's Seymour doing alive?" she asks. "Didn't we take care of him in Macalania?"

"He's dead, Rikku." I say, speaking before Auron can. "He's now unsent, though. He's attached to this world, and refuses to go to the Farplane in peace."

"Whoa, scary!" she exclaims.

"Yuna must be trying to send him." Auron states, and I nod.

"She is. That's the only explanation. I don't think it'll work, though. He'll be expecting it." I say, Auron nodding slowly. "Seymour might be evil, but he's not as stupid as we think."

"I'm glad Yuna's okay and all, but what's with those fancy clothes?" I hear Wakka ask Tidus, causing me to facepalm. I can't believe he hasn't caught it.

"It's called a wedding dress." Lulu says, bluntly, causing Wakka's eyes to go wide.

"What?" he says, and I shake my head, groaning.

"Wakka, ed'mm pa y senylma ev dra dfu pnyeh lammc eh ouin rayt ajan lummeta ykyeh, yht lyica druikrd." I mutter to myself, Rikku laughing, Cid chuckling a little as well. I just take a deep breath, looking around the bridge again. Suddenly, the airship shakes a little, and Rin walks into the bridge, looking at us.

"We're being attacked from within. Some of the Guado that attacked Home must have snuck on board." he says, and everyone looks at him, slightly shocked. I'm more shocked at how he's so calm.

"You're awfully calm about it!" Cid exclaims, voicing my thoughts.

"I am calm about most things." he replies, nodding slightly.

"Fiends! There's nothing to do but..."

"But destroy the ship and all go down together!" Rikku says, jumping in front of her dad, and imitating his voice.

"Huh?" he asks, and Rikku turns to him.

"You gotta learn a little restraint, Pops." she says, shaking her head. "If you crash the ship, we can't go rescue Yunie! Leave the fiends to us professionals!"

"Yeah! Let's go!" Tidus says, pumping a fist into the air, and I nod, drawing my katana.

"We've got some stowaways to dispose of." I say, walking out the bridge door, and towards the top cabin.

* * *

Making it up the first stairwell, we're suddenly confronted by a trio of Guado, who have one of the Al Bhed pinned near a wall, and are beating him severely. 

"Hey! You creeps! Pick on someone who can fight back!" I yell, running in and swinging my katana, smashing the first in the head with the side like a baseball bat. Even as he goes down, Lulu has cast a Fire spell on the second, and Wakka has hit the final one with the blitzball, knocking him out cold. As the last Guado slumps to the ground, everyone looks around, before we sprint up the next set. There, we find a quartet of Guado, armed with swords. With a quick series of slashes from myself, Tidus, and Auron, along with Kimahri's poleaxe, they're quickly dispatched.

The next few sets go by much the same way, Guado attacking, and being incapacitated or killed by the 7 of us. Reaching the cabin, I look out the window, and my jaw drops at the sight. An enormous, dragon-like creature is flying outside, near the airship, but far enough away to render it unable to attack, for the moment.

"Huh, now there's a rare sight." Auron says, and I turn to him, still shocked at the sheer size of the creature.

"Whoa, that's huge!" Tidus exclaims, stepping back, as Rikku gasps.

"What is that?" she asks, Lulu looking at the three of us.

"The guardian wyrm, Evrae. The great sacred beast—protector of Bevelle!" she says, and I take another look at the massive dragon. It's so much bigger than I thought...

"The red carpet has teeth." Auron says, and Tidus suddenly snaps out of his shocked state, looking at us.

"Wait, that means we're close to Bevelle!" he exclaims, and Cid's voice suddenly crackles over the intercom.

"Rikku, you read me? We're going to fight that thing! Get on deck and show him what you've got! Go!" he says, and we all nod, Rikku sighing.

"There he goes again."

"The ferryman asks a high price." Auron says, and I almost groan at his use of over-dramatic phrases.

"Well, if we have to kill it, let's get up there and do it! The faster we're done with it, the faster we can save Yuna!" I yell, running towards the elevator leading up onto the deck, everyone else behind me.

* * *

Arriving on the deck, we're immediately buffeted by powerful winds, pushing us back because of the airship's speed. Evrae is right beside us, and it gives a powerful roar, causing me to cover my ears. That dragon looks _mean._ Looking at it again, I can say that for the first time since being here in Spira, I am really and truly afraid. 

"We gotta keep our distance, boy, but we can't let her get too far away!" Cid says over the intercom, talking to Tidus. "You all have to tell me when to move! But tell me quick, eh? This rig ain't so nimble, you hear?"

"Roger! I'll give the commands!" Tidus shouts, and Rikku steps up beside him.

"Not alone, you won't!" she yells, and we all draw our weapons, as Cid brings the airship closer to Evrae.

'_No time for fear now. The time to act is now...if we don't, we won't be able to save Yuna.'_

_(Play FF9 theme Hunter's Chance)_

"Alright, you overgrown lizard! Time to die!" I yell, sprinting in, Auron, Tidus, and Kimahri beside me, as we all begin to slash at Evrae, getting several in, before Evrae brings a massive claw around, forcing all of us to duck and roll away.

"Blizzaga!" I hear Lulu cry, and I see a massive burst of ice slam into Evrae. Thankfully, Lulu has her third level spells now. Wakka's blitzball also flies in, striking the dragon and bouncing back.

"Haste!" I yell, casting the magic on myself, before continuing to strike at the dragon, Kimahri doing so from a slight distance with his poleaxe, and suddenly, we're joined by Rikku, slashing away at the creature with her claw.

"Got anything we can hurt this thing more with, Rikku?" I yell over the noise, and she nods, stepping back a moment, before throwing a grenade at the creature, which explodes, scales flying off of it as it roars in pain. Kimahri gives a roar, before standing up straight, a blast of water flying from his mouth and slamming into Evrae. The creature roars again, before flying away for a moment, then flying back and slashing at all of us, all 5 of us being thrown back to where Wakka and Lulu are standing.

"Ouch..." I mutter, casting Cure on myself, as Rikku yells.

"Take us away from it!" she yells, Cid responding with a 'Roger!' over the intercom, as the airship moves out of range of Evrae. Taking a moment to cure everyone, I begin to fire my own spells at it.

"Blizzara!"

"Thundaga!" Another duo of spells from myself and Lulu hit Evrae, mine doing little, but Lulu's angering the creature. It roars, and suddenly, the missile pods on the ship open up. About 2 dozen missiles fly out, and connect with Evrae, the dragon giving a mighty screech, before flying towards us again. Inhaling, the dragon suddenly breathes out a green mist, and I recognize it as poison. Unfortunately, we can't dodge, and all of us fall to the ground, coughing and weakened. Pulling out a spare Antidote, I drink it, everyone else doing the same, before standing up again.

"Armor Break!" I hear Auron cry, running up to Evrae and striking down, the creature taking a significant amount of damage.

"Take this!" Tidus yells, running in and slashing, and I notice Evrae slow down, the effect of Tidus' Delay Buster attack. Wakka also throws the blitzball again, and a dark cloud appears over Evrae's face, the Dark Buster taking hold instantly.

"Alright, hit it with everything you've got! Renzokuken!" I scream, running in and jumping _onto _Evrae, slashing at its back 8 times, before running and leaping off, landing in a crouch, before turning around.

"Blasting Zone!" I yell, the beam of energy extending from my katana into the sky, before coming down on Evrae, dealing even more damage to the creature.

I turn around, and see Lulu focusing intently, before Firaga spells begin to rain on Evrae, two, four, six, then a seventh hitting in quick succession, the result of Lulu's Fury Overdrive. Auron jumps into the air, and brings the sword down into the airship, an orange explosion overtaking Evrae as the Dragon Fang connects.

Giving another powerful roar, Evrae slashes at us again, but misses, and Kimahri cuts into its arm while it flails, Tidus and myself running up to cut at the dragon again. It might be weakened, but it's tough as nails.

"Demi!" Lulu cries, and a black bubble covers Evrae, collapsing and expanding again, the dragon screeching, before inhaling and breathing another cloud of poison gas at us. Everyone falls again, but quickly cures themselves, getting up, as Rikku throws an Ice Gem at the creature, a Blizzaga blasting into its tough hide again. Evrae growls, and turns to face us, the blindness having wore off, before it looks directly at me, and I freeze, its eyes glowing. The last thing I see is the piercing gaze, as I feel my body freeze up.

It could've been a minute, it could've been an hour, but I regain my senses, to find Evrae still hovering, but farther away from us, Rikku looking over at me.

"What...happened?" I ask, and everyone looks at me.

"Petrified. One of Evrae's most dangerous attacks, or any fiend that possesses it, for that matter." Lulu informs me, and I cringe. That was almost as unpleasant as being knocked out back at Kilika.

"Alright, I'll have to be careful of that." I say, as another barrage of missiles fly in, striking Evrae, causing the creature to give another loud roar, and begin to descend, obviously too badly hurt to continue the fight. "Or not..." I mutter, watching the wyrm fall.

_(End FF9 theme Hunter's Chance)_

"Hey, look! I see the city!" Tidus says, pointing off into the distance. Indeed, I can see the towers of Bevelle, looming before us, as the airship ascends into the clouds, before diving down towards the city.

"Come on! Let's do this!" I yell to everyone, clenching a fist and sheathing my katana, everyone nodding as we walk closer to the side of the airship. Wedding bells can be heard chiming below, as a figure, presumably Yuna, walks up the stairs, soldiers on every side of her, as well as civilians. A veritable sea of pyreflies, thousands upon thousands of them, are flying over the majestic city. We brace ourselves, as the airship continues to dive, and suddenly, bullets begin to whiz by us, some missing, others bouncing off the metal, as the airship swoops down and hovers, barely moving, beside the area. Suddenly, two harpoons lance out and smash into the ground, near the bottom of the stairs. Everyone dives off the airship, beginning to slide down the cables to the ground below, as guns fire madly around.

"I'm gonna hate this..." I say, following, and landing on one of the cables, leaning forward to keep the wind from blowing me off balance. Tidus flips from the left cable to the right, the one I'm on, and I can't help but imagine how crazy he is. Finally, we reach the bottom, and dive off, Tidus and I drawing our weapons in mid fall.

"Yuna!" he screams, and I glare at the Maester.

"Seymour...I'm coming for you..." I mutter, as everyone takes a fighting stance, several guards approaching with swords.

Tidus is the first to strike, lunging at one of the guards, striking him in the chest, then the neck, sending him down, bleeding heavily. I run in and slash at another guard, spinning around to slice at the other, who ducks. Unfortunately, he ducks right when Auron stabs over with his katana. It impales him in the skull, and he slumps, dead instantly. The second guard steps back, wounded from my strike, as Lulu casts a Thunder spell on him, killing him as well. Running up a set of steps, we're confronted by another set of guards.

"Blizzaga!" Lulu cries, the ice spell slamming into one guard, sending him against the stairs. He's dead on impact, his ribcage crushed.

"Farewell." Auron says, running in and slashing another guard across the throat, as Wakka's blitzball takes care of a third, and Rikku slices a fourth open, Kimahri finishing the job.

"They're slowing us down!" I yell, pointing my hand at another set of guards. "Blizzara!" The spell lances out, striking in the midst of the enemies, scattering them, before they kneel and open fire. "Agh!" I scream, feeling a bullet slam into my leg, but not piercing, thanks to my Sphere Grid. Another strikes my arm, and this one does pierce, lodging itself into my left forearm.

"Thundaga!" A massive lightning bolt descends from the sky, ripping into two guards who were kneeling close together, killing them and knocking their charred bodies back. Casting a Cura spell on myself, I feel the bullet dislodge itself, falling to the ground, and I wince softly, running up the third set of stairs. Rikku runs up beside me, and we take down another duo of guards, getting closer to Yuna with every set of stairs.

Seymour looks down at us, now less than a hundred feet away, and waves a hand, more guards armed with swords and rifles throwing themselves at us, Mika and Yuna standing by idly, the face of the latter frozen in horror. For some strange reason, the machina that were firing at us are now immobile, not firing, giving any movement, or making any attempt to attack, either.

"Get out of my way!" Tidus screams, cutting through two more guards furiously, before kicking a third in the stomach, sending him to the ground, Kimahri stabbing him in the chest as he falls. Rikku cuts across another's throat, toppling him, as Lulu casts bursts of magic to pick off any others. After another 12 guards fall, we reach the top of the stairs, and Maester Kinoc, who I hadn't noticed, raises a hand, several guards beside them raising their rifles at us menacingly.

"This has gone far enough!" he cries. "Stop!" We all stop, glaring white-hot daggers at the three Maesters, as Yuna suddenly brandishes her staff, holding it out before her. Seymour smirks.

"You would play at marriage just for a chance to send me? Your resolve is admirable. All the more fitting to be my lovely wife." he says, Yuna beginning to perform the sending, a couple pyreflies leaking from Seymour's body.

"Stop!" Mika yells, turning to Yuna. "Do you not value your friends' lives? Your actions determine their fate. Protect them...or throw them away. The choice is yours." Yuna looks at Mika, before lowering her head, and dropping her staff, it falling to the bottom of the stairs.

"You are wise." Seymour says, looking at Yuna. Seymour approaches Yuna then, grabbing her shoulders, and pulling her into a kiss. Rikku gasps, as well as Wakka, and Lulu looks away, as I clench my teeth at the sight. Tidus looks angrier than I've ever seen him, and wedding bells ring in the area, several people clapping slowly. I notice Yuna clench her hand into a fist, and Seymour pulls away from the kiss, motioning to a guard.

"Kill them." he says, and suddenly, 2 shots ring out, Rikku giving a cry and falling, as her chest suddenly sprays blood, the bullets having hit her squarely.

"Rikku! NO!" I scream, running over to her side, as she bleeds heavily from the chest wounds. Yuna gives a scream as well, beginning to run over, but Seymour grabs her by the arm. As Rikku goes limp, I stand up, glaring murderous rage at the trio of Seymour, Kinoc, and Mika.

"I'll KILL YOU! Shadow Blitz!" I yell, angry beyond words, not even thinking about my actions as the entire area turns to blackness. Running up before anyone can move, I slash a duo of the riflemen across the stomach, turning to a third and stabbing him in the chest with both my katana and wakizashi. The remaining five look at me, before opening fire, and I take the hits, wincing as the bullets strike me, some bouncing off, but some piercing. Continuing to charge, I smash a foot into the stomach of one, opening his neck up afterwards with a quick slash, then stab the closest guard in the throat with my short blade.

"Get him!" another yells, and pulls out a sword, but before he can strike, I cut his hand off at the wrist, the sword falling to the ground, and he gives a short cry before I slice upwards, cutting across his neck and face as well. The other two give a look of surprise, and drop their weapons, running off, but they don't get far before I've stabbed them down as well, several wounds in their backs causing them to bleed profusely, as my anger begins to calm, the area lighting itself up again.

"Now, for you three!" I yell, charging in, but Seymour, seemingly unfazed by my bloodbath, holds up a hand, and points. I stop, and turn, to see Rikku, being supported by Lulu and Tidus, blood all over her chest, but the wounds gone. The holes in her shirt remain, and she gasps for breath.

"Ben! She's okay!" Tidus yells, and I look at them, realizing they must've used a potion or a revival item to heal her. Another guard is sticking a gun in Auron's face, the older man seemingly unfazed by the action, and suddenly, Yuna's voice breaks the tense silence.

"No! Throw down your weapons! Let them go, or else..." Turning, I see Yuna standing on a windowsill, not far away from the group of us. Tidus runs up, Seymour lowering his hand, the guard lowering his weapon as well.

"Leave now! Please!" she begs Tidus, who ignores her.

"You're coming with us!" he tells her, and she shakes her head.

"Don't worry! Go!" she replies, Seymour walking towards her slowly, and I tense, ready for anything after what just happened.

"This is foolish. If you fall, you'll die." he tells her, and Yuna wipes her lips, apparently just as appalled by the kiss as the rest of us.

"Don't worry. I can fly." she says, turning to Tidus. "Believe." she tells him, before smiling, and falling backwards out the window, everyone gasping in shock.

"Yuna!" Tidus cries, as we all rush over to the ledge. Yuna falls towards the ground, but summons Valefor, the aeon descending from the sky and moving under her, Yuna falling safely onto its back.

"I'm going with her!" I say, hopping onto the window ledge. "Get out of here, now!" I say, looking down at Yuna. "Yuna!" I yell, motioning to her, and she nods, Valefor stopping below the window, as I leap off, landing on the aeon with a grunt, before sitting down, as we fly off towards the temple, headed for the Chamber of the Fayth.

* * *

Man, this was a hard one to write. I debated with myself a while on exactly what should happen at Bevelle, and wrote the part with Rikku, almost scrapped it, before deciding to keep it and see what everyone thought. As always, please review! 


	28. Chapter 28: The True Face Of Yevon

No idle chit-chat this time, straight to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Whatever you say, pal, whatever you say.

Harry4: Yeah, the whole thing with Rikku was a bit confusing to me too, I had mixed feelings myself about whether to cut it, or leave it in. I decided to leave it in, as you see, and it seems to have turned out relatively well. The trial and Via Purifico? Read on.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yeah, actually, Seymour will get some modicum of revenge, so to speak. Just keep reading.

desert-tiger: Up for the trial and Via Purifico? You better be.

beastboy-had-a-brain: Thanks.

ShadowStar05: Yep, Ben did go a little nuts. But, wouldn't you?

Gester: Thing about me is, I don't spare ANYONE. Not even myself. As you'll soon see.

Well, without further delay, on to the trial!

* * *

Chapter 28—The True Face Of Yevon

Flying over the city is an exhilarating experience, except for the fact that if we fall, we're as good as dead. But, Valefor wouldn't let that happen, I know. So, in a short amount of time, we land outside the temple of Bevelle, walking inside.

"This place is really beginning to annoy me." I mutter, looking around at the interior of the temple, and heading for the back, where a set of stairs lie, descending to the Cloister of Trials. Yuna stays right beside me, still garbed in her wedding dress, and we take the stairs down, beginning the trials. Arriving at the bottom, Yuna gasps, looking at the underground Cloister of Trials. The entire area is a maze of multicolored, moving platforms, and clear tunnels over them, allowing you to see everything.

"Uh...this won't be easy." I say, Yuna looking at me, then back at the maze, before nodding. "We better get started, then. No telling when they might come after us." I say, snapping a glance back at the stairs, before moving onto the first platform, Yuna right behind me. It takes a few minutes, but I eventually remember the correct way to complete the area, and we move up into another part, much like the first, and begin to complete that area as well. It takes about 20 minutes for us to complete the puzzle, and I'm about ready to pull my hair out by the time we're finished.

"Stupid, stupid, Bevelle." I say, Yuna giving me an annoyed look, which causes me to shrug. "What? I really don't like this place."

"This is...was..my home." she says, and I stop, remembering that little fact a moment too late.

"Oh...yeah. Sorry about that, it's just...nothing but bad things have happened since arriving here, and I don't think it's going to get any better." I say, looking down, remembering what just happened.

"Come on. I see the Chamber of the Fayth." she says, starting to walk, and I follow her inside, the door shutting behind us, as if expecting us. Kneeling down on the floor, we do the prayer gesture, before beginning to pray to the fayth of the temple. After a moment, it appears, revealing itself to be the same kid that Tidus and I saw, and smiles at us.

"Greetings. I'm glad you have made it here." he says, and I nod.

"Yeah, so am I." I say, and Yuna looks at me strangely, before turning back to the fayth.

"Please, help us to defeat Sin." she says, and the fayth smiles again.

"We will. Don't worry." he replies, turning back to me. "Ben. I see you've grown into your role as a summoner."

Nodding, I look up at the floating child-like entity. "It took a little getting used to at first, but I've accepted it now. I'll do whatever I can to help beat Sin, no matter what." I reply, causing him to nod.

"I see. Then, I shall lend you two my power. Defeat Sin, and bring peace to Spira." he says, vanishing, as I feel him enter my mind, joining with the other fayth of Ixion and Shiva.

"Bahamut." I mutter under my breath, Yuna suddenly fainting, as I notice the door now open, and everyone standing at the door. Tidus rushes towards Yuna, grabbing her, and picking her up, as I stand up.

'_Must've been out of it, really focused, or just deaf not to hear them come in...' _I think to myself, walking towards the exit.

"Let's go." Auron says, but just as we're about to leave, Rikku's voice comes from outside.

"Wait, don't come out!" she says, a minute too late, as we all walk outside. The moment we leave the door, we find ourselves surrounded by guards with guns, and I know that at this proximity, no matter what we do, we would all be dead long before we could fight. Maester Kinoc is heading the group, and he steps forward, looking at all of us.

"There's the last of them." he says smugly, looking at one of the guards for a moment, before turning back to us. "You are to stand trial." Auron looks at the Maester, eyes nor body wavering an inch.

"I expect it will be a fair trial." he states, Kinoc enjoying a short laugh, before looking back at the monk.

"Of course it will." he says, turning away and looking at the guards, who rush forward and quickly pin our hands behind our backs, leading us away.

* * *

After a while of being stuck in uncomfortable cells, we're called into the main palace of Bevelle. The main hall, to be exact. There are two balconies, on either side of a large balcony, which is at the back of the room, in the middle. A small elevator leads from the lower part, where we currently are, to the upper balcony. As we're led in, I notice just how much it resembles the courts I'm familiar with. A Ronso, on the center balcony, begins to speak as we take our places in front of the Maesters.

"The High Court of Yevon is now in session. The sacred offices of this court seek nothing but absolute truth, in Yevon's name. To those on trial: Believe in Yevon, and speak only the truth."

"Maester Kelk Ronso." Lulu states, as we look up at the supposed judge.

"Summoner Yuna." Maester Kelk says, looking down at Yuna, now back in her summoner's robes. "You have sworn to protect the people of Yevon, true?" he asks, Yuna nodding.

"Yes."

"Then consider: You have inflicted dire injury upon Maester Seymour Guado..." he says, motioning to his right, where Seymour stands on the left balcony, "conspired with the Al Bhed, and joined in their insurrection. These are traitorous and unforgivable crimes that disturb the order of Yevon. Tell this court what possessed you to participate in such violence."

"Your Grace...the real traitor is Maester Seymour!" she exclaims, pointing at him. "He killed his father Jyscal with his own hands!"

"What is this!" Kelk exclaims, looking at Seymour, as I speak up.

"She's right, Your Grace. And, just so you know, Lady Yuna had nothing to do with the injuries inflicted on Seymour. That was my doing. Do not punish her for my actions."

"Not only that...Maester Seymour is already dead!" Yuna continues.

"It is the summoner's sacred duty to send the souls of the departed to the Farplane!" Lulu says, cutting in. "Yuna was only doing her job as a summoner!"

"Grand Maester Mika...please, send Seymour now!" Yuna implores, Maester Kelk stepping back to allow Grand Maester Mika to step up and address Yuna.

"Send the unsent to where they belong?" he asks, and Yuna nods, looking up at him.

"Yes!" she exclaims, the Maester having a short laugh, before looking back down at her. "Maester?" she says, nervously, and I glare up at the Maesters, showing my defiance in my eyes.

"Send the dead...hmm?" he says, a few pyreflies leaking from his body, causing Yuna and everyone else to gasp. "You would have to send me, too."

"What?" Wakka exclaims, unable to contain his shock.

"Grand Maester Mika is a wise leader." Maester Kelk says, stepping forward again. "Even in death, he is invaluable to Spira."

"Enlightened rule by the dead is preferable to the misguided failures of the living." Maester Kinoc says, and I speak up, unable to keep myself from saying anything any longer.

"You really think so? The dead have served their purpose, they should go on and rest in peace! The living make mistakes, true, but no one is perfect! You aren't enlightened...you're just fooling yourselves, and all the people of Spira! If you truly were, Sin wouldn't be around, because you'd know how to beat it!" I yell, bringing my anger back under control, as the Grand Maester looks at me.

"Silence!" he yells, and I growl, glaring back up at him. "Men die. Beasts die. Trees die. Even continents perish. Only the power of death truly commands in Spira. Resisting its power is futile."

"And the power of death is Sin! I see nothing futile about trying to destroy something that has plagued you for over a thousand years!" I spit, fury radiating from my speech.

"But what of Sin?" Yuna asks quietly, looking at us, then up at Maester Kelk and the Grand Maester. "I am a summoner, my lord, like my father before me! I am on a pilgrimage to stop the death that Sin brings. Are you...are you telling me that, too, is futile? Grand Maester Mika, I am not alone! All the people who have opposed Sin...their battles, their sacrifices—were they all in vain?" she says, a quiet rage building in her speech.

"Not in vain." he says, looking down. "No matter how many summoners give their lives, Sin cannot be truly defeated. The rebirth cannot be stopped. Yet the courage of those who fight gives the people hope. There is nothing futile in the life and death of a summoner."

"Never futile...but never ending." Auron says, speaking for the first time. Mika nods at him, turning his attention to the warrior.

"Indeed, that is the essence of Yevon." he replies, Yuna giving a short cry.

"Lord Mika!"

"Yevon is embodied by eternal, unchanging continuity, summoner."

"No...that can't be right!" Yuna says, shaking her head as if to dispel the truth with the action.

"Those who question these truths—they are traitors!" he exclaims, pointing down at us.

"Lord Mika!" Yuna exclaims again, as we're suddenly grabbed, and led out of the courtroom, further down below.

* * *

"Let...me...go!" I yell, struggling, but the guard's grip is firm, and we're thrown into cells, Yuna and I thrown into one cell, while the others are led away somewhere else.

"They...they can't mean what they say..." Yuna mutters, and I walk over, putting an arm around her.

"I'm afraid they're serious. They mean exactly what they say. Summoners can't defeat Sin...because none of them know how." I explain, Yuna looking at me strangely.

"And you do?" she asks, the words cutting into me like a knife. Looking around, I remain silent, and thank Yevon, twisted as the idea may be, for the two guards now approaching our cell. Maester Kinoc is with them, and I growl slightly, but don't make any movements. I notice one of the guards has my katana and wakizashi, as well as Yuna's staff with him. I quirk an eyebrow, as the guard opens our cell, and pulls us out, Kinoc looking at us.

"Your sentence has been decided." he says, beginning to lead us into an area of Bevelle that I don't recognize at first. As the door opens, I realize where I'm at, and Yuna gasps.

"The Via Purifico." Kinoc says simply, handing us our weapons, as the guards push us inside, the door shutting with a bang behind us.

"So...what do we do?" she asks me, and I look around, noticing the place's maze-like appearance.

"Well, we make our way through here, find anyone or anything else that got thrown in here, and leave. It's that simple. I'll protect you, come on." I tell her, the summoner nodding, and starting to follow me through the maze.

* * *

After a minute or two of moving through the maze, I hear a hissing noise, and stop. Turning around slowly, I notice two Cave Iguions, crawling towards us.

"Yuna, ready?" I ask, and she nods, holding her staff, ready to fight if need be, as I draw my sword. Suddenly, a Protect springs to life around me, and I smile, running in and slashing at the first, the second trying to claw me in the side, but bouncing off the Protect. Striking down at the first, the stab connects with a foot, allowing me to leave the katana stuck in it's foot, and bring out my wakizashi to decapitate the creature, the second pounding on my Protect spell. Calmly turning, I pick my other sword up, and sheath them both, pointing a palm at the last fiend.

"Blizzara." I say, emotionlessly, the ice shard smashing straight into the creature's skull, killing it instantly, as Yuna gives me a slightly disturbed look. Turning to her, I give her a look of apathy, before speaking. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to go crazy. I'm just like this sometimes." As I walk deeper into the Purifico, Yuna watches a moment, before running behind me, staff at the ready.

The next fight we have, comes in the form of three different fiends. An Aqua Flan, a Sahagin, and a Bat Eye. All quite weak enemies. Yuna refreshes the Protect on me, and I charge in, pointing a palm at the Flan first.

"Thundara." I say, the magic lancing out and striking the fiend, the blob seeming to melt into the ground before bursting into pyreflies. The Bat Eye flies over, trying to claw at me, as the Sahagin darts in to bite. Both the attacks fail, bouncing off the invisible magic shield, and I draw my katana, striking at both the fiends rapidly, the Bat Eye receiving a slash in the wing, and the Sahagin taking one in a fin. Glaring, I cast Haste on myself, darting in and stabbing the sword through the Bat Eye with a jump, before spinning to the Sahagin.

"Ben! Duck!" I hear, and I do so, before watching the massive figure of Valefor blast a Sonic Wings attack at the two fiends, wiping them out in a blink. Sheathing the sword, I look at Yuna.

"Good job." I say, the summoner smiling, as I look over, to notice a bit of blue. Kimahri is standing near one of the walls, looking around. Walking over, I smile at the Ronso, causing him to turn and look at us, before he looks down.

"Yuna, sorry we left you alone." he says, staring at the floor, as Yuna walks over and puts a hand on the Ronso's shoulder.

"No, it's okay." she replies, Kimahri looking at her, and giving a short nod.

'_Let's see...Auron and Lulu are here too. Where are they?' _Walking past where Kimahri was, I spot Auron, and Lulu farther past him, the two of them fighting off a Sahagin and Aqua Flan, respectively. They're easily dispatched by the two guardians, and we walk towards them, the two of them noticing us and walking over as well.

"Auron, Lulu, glad to see you two." I say, looking around.

"There must be an exit somewhere. We search!" Auron says, walking off towards the back of the Via Purifico. Following, all of us keep our weapons at the ready, expecting more fiends. After a while, we reach the back of the area, and see none other than Isaaru, standing motionless in front of what we assume is the exit. He's holding his staff, as well, and I tense, expecting a fight as he looks at Yuna.

"Lady Yuna...so it is you!" he exclaims, walking towards us.

"Why are you here?" she asks, Isaaru stopping.

"We rode the airship to the Calm Lands, then came to Bevelle. Maester Kinoc summoned us then. Ordered us to 'deal with the traitors.'" he explains, locking gazes with Yuna.

"You will fight us?" Auron inquires, voice cold as icy wind.

"The temple's orders are law." Isaaru responds, giving a small nod of agreement. "Even if you are Lord Braska's flesh and blood...you're a traitor!" he spits, calming down a moment, before speaking once again. "Forgive me, Lady Yuna." Yuna nods, stepping forward, and preparing to fight the summoner, one on one.

"I summon Grothia!" he yells, twirling his staff around, as the aeon appears, a carbon copy of Ifrit, but a different name. Yuna takes a moment, before starting to summon as well.

"Valefor!" she cries, the aeon descending from above, landing beside her, as the fight begins.

"Meteor Strike!" he orders, Grothia creating a ball of energy, and slamming it at Valefor.

"Fly over it, and use Sonic Wings!" Yuna commands, the aeon flying over the ball, which misses and slams into the side of a wall, before Valefor unleashes the attack at Grothia, the other aeon staggering back, as Valefor presses the attack, raking a talon across it's chest.

"Fira!" Grothia opens its mouth, blasting a large ball of flame at Valefor, who catches the attack in the wing, flying down with a burn evident on its left wing, before growling.

"Energy Ray!" Valefor raises its beak towards the sky, the Overdrive powering up, before blasting the ray under Grothia's feet, the ground exploding and decimating the aeon, which falls over and fades away, Isaaru shielding his eyes from the rubble and smoke.

"Fine. Pterya!" Isaaru takes a familiar stance, before an exact replica of Valefor descends, facing off with it's double. "Sonic Wings!" he yells, the attack connecting with Valefor, the aeon being pushed back, before Isaaru calls out another command. "Energy Ray!" Yuna gasps, as the Overdrive attack connects with Valefor, the aeon slumping to the ground and fading away, just as Grothia did.

"Shiva, come forth!" Yuna cries, kneeling to the ground, as ice crystals descend behind her, shattering to reveal the ice goddess. "Blizzara!" Shiva raises a palm, before a spike of ice flies from her, stabbing Pterya in the right wing, going straight through, a roar of anguish coming from the aeon. "Heavenly Strike!" Yuna commands, Shiva running up and spin-kicking Pterya in the side of the face, the aeon giving a final cry before falling to the ground, fading away as well.

"You are powerful, Lady Yuna. But you won't survive this. Spathi, I summon you!" Isaaru yells, before a sparkle of light comes from his staff, a strange pattern appearing above us, as the massive dragon descends, giving a powerful roar before standing in front of Isaaru, arms crossed. "Attack." he says simply, Spathi flying over to Shiva and grabbing her, raking across her with the other talon, cutting a deep wound into the aeon's body. Shiva gives a short cry of pain, and Yuna's eyes go wide.

"Diamond Dust!" she cries, desperately, the aeon wrenching herself free of the dragon's grasp, before charging a ball of ice in her hands, raising them over her head. The ball glows, before she fires it at Spathi, a wave of ice flying out and freezing the creature solid, before Shiva snaps, the shards shattering and cutting the aeon up, a bellow of pain coming from the massive Spathi.

"She's weak! Finish her off! Impulse!" Spathi growls, before four black balls of energy, one from either hand, and one from the tips of both wings, appear and fly at Shiva, slamming into the aeon, who flies back, unable to go on. As Shiva fades away, Yuna stands in awe of the massive dragon, as I look over at her.

"Yuna! You can do it!" I yell, Yuna glancing over, before giving a nod and turning back. With one simple word, she yells her defiance to Isaaru, and the Maesters of Yevon.

"Bahamut!" she calls, the massive dragon descending again, but this time on her side, as she looks over at its doppelganger. "Impulse!" The black balls fly out again, but this time they hit Spathi, the aeon growling and stepping back from the force, before Isaaru smirks.

"It's over. Mega Flare!" he yells, and Yuna's eyes go wide again.

"Shield!" she yells, just as Spathi backflips, roaring, and landing on all four clawed feet, the wheel between his wings beginning to spin and gather energy. A bright white energy ball gathers in his large mouth, before he roars again, firing the energy beam at Bahamut, who takes the attack full force, shielding Yuna as the area around them explodes.

"Yuna!" Tidus yells, and I look on, hoping that she's okay. To our relief, Bahamut is more or less fine, and Yuna is unharmed, but seems to be angry now.

"Mega Flare, Bahamut!" Smirking, I watch on as Bahamut now gives a roar, before charging up and performing his own Mega Flare on Spathi, the aeon trying to protect itself, but being blasted off his feet by the beam, falling, and dissipating away a moment after. Dismissing Bahamut, Yuna watches on as Isaaru falls to the ground. Walking over to Isaaru, the summoner suddenly glares at Yuna, pulling himself onto his knees.

"Stay away!" he yells, and Yuna stops, all of us walking towards Yuna, as he speaks again. "There's a way to the surface up ahead." he explains, and Yuna bows, walking past him, Kimahri and all of us at her side, as Auron steps up to Isaaru.

"Your pilgrimage is over." he states, before following us.

As we enter the area that should lead us out of the Via Purifico, we're suddenly confronted by three familiar, smiling faces. Tidus, Wakka, and Rikku. Running up to us, Rikku embraces Yuna, obviously happy to see her cousin again.

"Yunie! You're all right?" she asks, Yuna giving a short nod, as Rikku lets go. "We were so worried! It's good to have you back!" Walking over to Rikku, I put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a small hug, before looking at everyone.

"Thank you." Yuna says, Tidus walking up to Yuna, looking as if he's about to say something.

"Um...I...uh..." he stammers, before we hear footsteps behind us, and turn around. Seymour, Kinoc, three Guado soldiers, and a Bevelle soldier are standing there, watching us. The Bevelle soldier is holding Kinoc, and he suddenly drops him. As the Maester slumps to the floor, obviously dead, I tense, knowing that what's about to happen won't be very pretty at all.

* * *

How's that for a cliffhanger? Gotta love 'em. Well, anyway, until next time, please review!


	29. Chapter 29: Brave Advancement

Well, I was slightly inspired to write this chapter, although it's mostly just an interlude before the plot kicks up again. Anyway, the replies!

ShadowStar05: The little kid, was actually the fayth for the aeon Bahamut.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Yes. Indeed it is. This chapter...is beginning.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Thanks. I was going to change Bahamut, but I thought about it some, and realized, there was no possible, coherent way that I could've changed Bahamut's looks. It just wouldn't have made sense.

desert-tiger: Well, enjoy this one. The battle with Seymour Natus. (insert overly dramatic music here)

Gester: I tried to. Honestly, that scene was one of the ones I felt I'd be the most outspoken at, and I tried to show that. There will be some others later, you'll see for yourself.

And now, on with the semi-interlude!

* * *

Chapter 29—Brave Advancement

"Kinoc!" Auron yells, watching his old friend's body hit the ground, the Farplane the only calling for the Maester now.

"Why, you!" Tidus yells, glaring at Seymour, with his hands balled up into fists.

"I have saved him. He was a man who craved power. And great power he had, but he feared losing it. Trembling at unseen enemies, he spent his days scheming petty schemes. Chased by his fears, never knowing rest." Seymour speaks, looking down at the floor. Looking up, he turns his back to us. "You see...now he has no worries. He has been granted sleep eternal." Turning back to us, he smiles, crossing his arms. "Death is a sweet slumber. All the pain of life gently swept away...ah, yes." he breathes, and I narrow my eyes, appalled at Seymour's fascination with death. "So you see...if all life were to end in Spira, all suffering would end. Don't you see? Do you not agree? That, Yuna, is why I need you. Come, Lady Yuna. Come with me to Zanarkand, the lost city of the dead. With death on our side, we will save Spira, and for this...I will take from you your strength, Yuna, your life, and become the next Sin. I will destroy Spira! I will _save _it!"

"You're totally nuts!" Tidus exclaims, staring at the deranged, maniacal Maester, who stands there with a smug look on his face.

"Nice monologue, Seymour. Now, here's something for you to chew on. As long as we're here, you're not destroying anything. Ever. Know why? Cause we'll be here to stop you. Every step you take, every move you make, we'll be right there beside you to foil it. And you know what else? Personally, I'll see to it that you end up on the Farplane, if I have to send you myself to see it done!" I say, ready to end Seymour right here and now. Kimahri growls, not being able to take it any longer, and charges Seymour, stabbing the end of his spear into Seymour's chest. The point goes in deep, no blood flowing, and Seymour looks at Kimahri. Kimahri stares back, neither breaking the gaze, before Seymour looks down at the spear.

"Unpleasant..." he muses tiredly, seemingly unperturbed that there's a six foot spear lodged in his chest. "Very well. I will give you your death. You seem to want it so." Yanking the spear out of his chest with a grunt, he shoves Kimahri back, before holding out his rod. Dark energy radiating from the staff, the four soldiers and Kinoc's body burst into pyreflies, which Seymour draws to his body. Standing up straight, Seymour begins to glow, before suddenly transforming into a white being, purple armor covering his body, and a set of large wings in the back, having an odd shape and form to them.

"Oh boy...Seymour's second form. Natus." I mutter, drawing my sword. Seymour makes a series of hand gestures, and a strange being suddenly appears from a mass of pyreflies, floating above Seymour's head. A spiny body and face, with two long, clawed front legs, and no back legs, along with a spiked, scorpion-like tail, makes the Mortibody a somewhat fearsome looking creature. Of course, after just seeing Bahamut, the Dragon King himself, it looks a lot less intimidating. Floating in the air, Seymour gives an angry look at us, Kimahri turning to face us.

"Run! Protect Yuna!" he growls, and Auron nods.

"Go!" he cries, Tidus shaking his head and drawing his sword.

"No way! I'm fighting!" he yells. By the time he gets his sword unsheathed, however, Auron has the point of his sword in Tidus' face, causing the blond boy to stop.

"I said go!" Auron yells, and Tidus looks at Yuna. Yuna looks back at him, and they both nod, as we all run back towards the way we came, Kimahri staying behind and confronting Seymour. Yuna looks unsure of this decision though, and after a few dozen feet, she stops us, turning to all of us.

"I won't leave Kimahri behind!" she exclaims, looking back at the Ronso.

"He is a guardian. Protecting you is everything." Auron states, Yuna turning to face him.

"Auron!" she pleads, Tidus looking at Auron as well.

"That's right! We're all guardians!" he says, looking at Auron, who gives him a solemn look. "Yeah, and you know what that means?" he continues, looking over at Yuna. "Yuna...anywhere you go, I'll follow!"

"Anywhere I go?" she asks, seeming to see what Tidus is implying.

"Yeah, anywhere!" he says, confirming her thoughts, as Yuna smiles.

"Well, then!" she says, looking back at Kimahri. "Let's go!" they say, simultaneously, before sprinting back towards Kimahri.

"Hey, Kimahri! Save some for us!" Tidus yells, and Wakka runs after them.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

"Me, too!" Rikku yells, also following.

"I'll go, too!" Lulu says, following the four of them.

"Auron. We have a Maester to vanquish." I say, running back towards Seymour, as Auron smirks, and follows me.

_(Play FF8 theme Premonition)_

"Seymour! Your time is up!" I yell, casting a Fira spell in front of me, which fizzles out in front of the Maester harmlessly, as he points a hand at us.

"Fira!" he yells, the attack shooting out three times in the span of a blink, striking Tidus, Yuna, and Kimahri, sending them stumbling back as the powerful fire blasts slam into them.

"Silence Buster!" Wakka yells, the blitzball flying out and striking Seymour, but failing to Silence him.

"He's immune to just about everything, I think..." I mutter, thinking a moment. "Alright. Hastega!" Using my newest spell, I smile, as everyone begins moving faster than before.

"Blizzaga!" Lulu cries, Wakka throwing the blitzball as well, Rikku and Tidus also moving into melee range to attack. Holding out a hand, Seymour swats the blitzball away,lessening the damage ofthe Blizzaga with a Shell, before calmly swatting Rikku and Tidus away.

"You did not just...that's it. Renzokuken!" I yell, running in and slashing away at Seymour, only to have _every single one _of my strikes either dodged or deflected. Stepping back in shock, I quickly pick a finishing move, hoping it'll work. "Overdrive Reels!" I cry, focusing a moment, before running up to Seymour, and bouncing off of him, holding my sword high in the air, then swinging it out, a series of beams flying down and going into the ground below Seymour, before they explode, the Energy Rain attack causing some damage.

Kimahri stands up straight, as beams of light flow from Seymour to himself, the Lancet move restoring some of his health and magic power, before he roars, blasting from his spot and landing a powerful kick into Seymour's stomach, the Thrust Kick knocking the wind out of the Maester. Growling, Seymour points a palm at Kimahri, and my eyes go wide when he calls out the spell.

"Flare!"

The non-elemental attack slams into Kimahri, sending him skidding across the floor, coming to a stop after a minute, his body unmoving.

"Kimahri!" Yuna yells, pointing the staff at him. "Life!" The White Magic spell flows to Kimahri, quickly healing his body up from the powerful spell, and enabling him to get back to his feet. Having turned to watch the Ronso, I'm unprepared for the next thing to happen.

"Blizzara!" The ice attacks fire at Auron, Wakka, and myself, and as I turn back, I hear two grunts of pain, signaling the two hits on those two. But before I can move, raise my sword to block, or do anything, I feel a numbing pain in my chest. Stopping, and looking down slowly, I see a large icicle, speared _completely through me_.

'_I'm...going to die...' _I think, looking down at my bleeding chest, as my body starts to go numb, my sword falling to the ground. The last thing I hear, as I slump to the floor, is a cry of shock from Rikku and Yuna, and a cry of rage from Tidus.

My eyes are assaulted by bright lights, as I open them to see the battle continuing to rage.

'_Wait...I should be dead...' _Standing up and grabbing my sword, I realize that I _had_ died, but must've been brought back to life with a Life spell or Phoenix Down. Looking down at myself, I see no trace of any wound, and I run a hand over it to be sure, before turning my attention back to the fight.

"Mental Break!" Auron yells, running in and slashing upwards with his sword, the attack having no effect other than a small cut. The Mortibody, which seems to have been dormant the entire time, suddenly casts a spell, a Cura spell working it's way over Seymour's body.

"Oh...uh oh." I mutter, seeing that, and quickly I turn to Yuna. "Yuna, Reflect Seymour, now!" I yell. Yuna seems a bit startled by the idea of making magic attacks useless, but complies, casting the magic on him. Nodding slowly, I run back in, cutting furiously with my sword, Kimahri and Rikku beside me.

"Thundara!" Seymour cries, the bolts of lightning blasting the three of us away from him, and back onto the floor.

"Ugh...this guy wasn't this hard the last time..." I mumble, standing back up and downing a Potion. Rikku and Kimahri do the same, before Kimahri roars again, shooting a barrage of water bubbles at Seymour, each one popping and damaging the Maester a little, but not very much.

"Take this, ya!" Wakka yells, spinning his blitzball on his finger, as it takes a fiery glow, before he kicks it at Seymour, the Element Reels attack blasting into Seymour and exploding in a gout of flame, causing a howl from the Maester. Tidus and Auron quickly follow up the attack, bringing both their swords down in a powerful arc, the attacks cutting into Seymour. The Mortibody looks at Seymour, and casts a Cura spell, but it bounces off the Reflect, and hits Yuna instead.

"Heh, sucker." I mutter, Tidus taking a stance, before pulling a hand back, then runing up to Seymour and cutting once, running past, then twice, from another angle, before repeating the slashing and moving technique four more times, running back over to us as his Overdrive finishes.

"Outta the way!" Rikku yells, grabbing something from behind her back, lobbing it at Seymour, before a chain of fire blasts hit him, Rikku's Overdrive inflicting a good bit of damage as well.

"Ifrit, come forth!" Yuna says, beginning the summoning, but as Ifrit appears in front of him, Seymour smirks.

"Be gone!" he yells, waving a hand, and suddenly, Ifrit just fades away.

"What?" Yuna gasps, looking at the spot where Ifrit had just been.

"He banished it!" I yell back, looking over at her. "Aeons won't work!"

"Blizzara!" Seymour yells again, the ice spears flying through the room, smashing into Kimahri, Tidus, and Auron, Tidus being cut severely by the spear, and falling to the ground, Kimahri's spear knocked out of his hands by the blow as well. Auron staggers back, the spear having broken on his sword, but not inflicting any damage on him.

Lulu suddenly steps forward a bit, pulling something from one of the folds of her dress, throwing it at Seymour, a bolt of lightning striking him in the head, causing him to bellow in pain, and thrust a hand forward.

"Flare!" he yells, and my eyes widen again, as the attack heads for Lulu.

"Get outta the way!" I yell, running over, intent on pushing Lulu out of the way, but the Flare is faster than I am, slamming into Lulu and doing much the same as it did to Kimahri, Yuna screaming at the sight of her friend being struck down. Running over, I pull a Phoenix Down out of my pocket, throwing it over her, the magical item healing her wounds and restoring some of her energy, as I help her to her feet. Yuna seems mad now, and gives a death glare at Seymour, before pointing a palm at Seymour, and yelling out a spell.

"Dispel!" she cries, the Reflect vanishing, and I'm about to ask why she did that, when she suddenly answers my question.

"Holy!" she yells, and I watch as several white orbs of light hover around Seymour, before flying high up into the air and streaking back down towards him, connecting with a tremendous flash of light. Seymour's roar of pain is quite loud this time, the offensive White Magic spell taking a toll on his body, and Yuna quickly puts the Reflect back up, just as the Mortibody casts another Cura, it bouncing off and hitting Wakka this time.

"Wow..." I mutter, channeling my anger into another attack. "Renzokuken!" Running in, I take the moment of distraction to slash Seymour in the chest and the face several times, a guttural roar coming from Seymour, before I jump back, energy lacing over my body for my finishing move.

"Phase Shift!" Running towards Seymour again, my body phases out of the material plane, becoming ethereal, as I run through Seymour, and re-materialize on the other side, a long cut appearing across Seymour's chest, as he staggers back from all the attacks inflicted on him.

"Be gone!" Auron yells, running in and swinging his sword like a baseball bat at Seymour, the blade biting deep into his chest. Seymour cries out in pain, smashing Auron away, before falling to a knee.

_(End FF8 theme Premonition)_

"You...are powerful indeed...Lady Yuna...we will meet again..." he says, before bursting into a cloud of smoke and pyreflies, vanishing. Looking around, I take the time to cast some Cura spells over everyone, wincing slightly from the magic use, before pointing towards a door at the other end of the hall.

"There!" I yell, and we all run towards the door, running out of the temple, back out onto the grounds of Bevelle. Looking skyward, we all look for the airship, before finding it hovering around the main temple. Running towards it, we all wave our arms, and after a moment, the airship flies over towards us, dropping a rope ladder that we climb up, and back on board the massive vessel.

* * *

As soon as we're back on board, I head towards the bridge, already knowing where our next destination should be. "Well? Where's Yuna?" Cid says, walking towards me as I enter, and I motion behind me, everyone having followed me. Cid's eyes light up at the sight of his niece, and Yuna walks towards him, grabbing him in a hug, as the two embrace, each happy to see the other okay.

"Uncle...I..." Yuna starts, but Cid stops her, looking at his niece.

"Yuna, you're quitting your pilgrimage." he says, bluntly, and Yuna's eyes go wide.

"I'm what?" she says, Cid looking at her with a stern face.

"You heard me. I can't let you go out there and get yourself killed over nothing!" he tells her, and Yuna's eyes narrow.

"Uncle...it's not nothing! I'm doing this for the good of all the people of Spira! If you don't like it, I'm sorry...but I'm not quitting my pilgrimage." she says, turning and walking out of the bridge before he can say another word.

"Yuna!" he yells, but Yuna is already gone.

"Not to say I told you so, but..." I mutter, Cid shooting me an annoyed glance.

"Crid ib." he tells me, and I smirk.

"I think I know where we need to go next." I tell him, Auron walking up beside me as well.

"Oh? And where might that be?" he says, giving me another annoyed look.

"Back to Macalania. We can take a rest there, and head on to the Calm Lands later. Right?" I say, looking at Auron.

"He's right. It would be beneficial for us to rest before continuing, but, that is Yuna's decision." Auron agrees, looking at the Al Bhed, who sighs.

"Alright, alright." he says, and suddenly, I stop, snapping my fingers.

"No, wait!" I say, turning to Auron. "Sir Auron? I have a better idea. What if we gather the legendary weapons?" I say, giving him a hopeful look.

"That isn't for me to decide. That is also for Lady Yuna to determine." he tells me, and I sigh.

"Alright. I'll go ask her." I say, walking out of the bridge, and down the hall.

* * *

It takes me a minute to find the room that Yuna is in, but I finally do, and I knock lightly on the door, hearing a faint acknowledgment from inside. Walking in, I see Yuna, sitting down on the bed.

"Yuna? Is something wrong?" I ask, already thinking I know the answer.

"It's nothing..." she trails off, before looking at me. "He doesn't understand." she says, and I nod.

"I know. He will though, he just needs some time to think." I tell her, sitting down on the bed beside her. "Yuna? I have a question to ask you."

"What is it?" she replies, and I take a deep breath.

"As crazy as this sounds...would it be okay if we tried to obtain the legendary weapons?" I ask, and she gives me a strange look.

"Why? We don't even know where all of them are...they've been lost for hundreds of years now." she replies.

"That's the thing, though...I know where they are. Don't ask how, I just do. They might be the key to beating Sin." I tell her, hoping to convince her. She looks down at the floor for a moment, before looking back up at me.

"Okay...I'll go along with it. My uncle Cid, though..." she says, and I nod.

"I think I can handle that, don't worry. Just think. We may be the ones to beat Sin, once and for all." I say, standing up and walking out of the room.

'_Better we find these now, and not need them, than be in the middle of fighting Sin and find out our weapons don't work...' _I think to myself, walking back towards the bridge. Entering, all eyes turn to me, and I ignore it, as everyone goes back to their conversations. Walking up to Cid, I tap him on the shoulder.

"Eh?"

"Cid. Have you heard the story of the legendary weapons?" I ask him, and he nods.

"Known it since I was a kid! Why?" he replies.

"Because. I just asked Yuna if I could do this, and I have her permission. We're going to find them." I tell him, causing his eyes to go wide.

"You're out of your mind! Those things have been lost for ages now!" he yells, and everyone looks at us. Inwardly, I shiver, hating all the attention, but I continue.

"Well, they aren't completely lost. I happen to know where they are, and I plan to use them to beat Sin. So, can you just please trust me on this one? I know what I'm doing." I tell him, and he gives me a skeptical look.

"Well...if my niece is willing to go along with this hair-brained plan of yours, then I guess I am too." he says, reluctantly, and I smile.

"Trust me. It's not hair-brained. You'll see." I say, walking over, and taking a seat at the computer panel, pulling up the map system again.

* * *

And so...the next chapter starts the quest for the seven legendary weapons! The second half of the interlude, so to speak. Another small note, to my reviewers. If anyone happens to notice a spelling error of any sort, or just something that is a little off, please tell me in your review, and I'll go back and fix it, as I want this story to be relatively well written.Until then, please read and review!


	30. Chapter 30: Never Look Back

Well, chapter 30 at last! Took me a while, as I was mentally debating with myself on how to do the legendary weapons, and I finally decided on this. Hope no one hates how I decided to do it. The legendary weapons don't require either the mirror, or the sigils/crests in my story, as I really don't see how that could coherently fit in, what with some of the things you have to do to get those items. Chocobo races don't exactly seem to fit in with legendary weapons of power. But, I'm rambling. On to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Aowooga.

Gester: Thanks. Sometimes I get to a point where I'm inspired, and write two chapters at once, or very close together. The flip side of that, is that sometimes it takes a while to get out the next one.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Okay, lots of things here. I have already decided my legendary weapon, but thanks for the offer of help. Yes, indeed, poor Rikku. The ending will be, hopefully, very dramatic. And no, I do not plan on getting the optional summons.

ShadowStar05: Nope, not yet. He's not quite dead...

Connor Kelly: Welcome to Destiny's Call, Connor! Unfortunately, no, Lionheart will not be Ben's legendary weapon. You'll have to wait and see.

Iron Reaver: Yeah. Least you were thorough. That wonderful honor of screwing up goes to the document manager. It will all be fixed in due time.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yup. I love plot twists.

desert-tiger: Yes, Ben will get a legendary weapon. It won't show up for a few chapters, though.

FFfanboyX: Welcome to Destiny's Call, fanboy! Ben will get a legendary weapon, and I've already figured out how he will find it, and such, so just be patient, you'll see.

Harry4: That's interesting, knowing that my writing style has that effect of suspense, even though you know everything that happens. Thanks for the compliment.

SS5Matt: Lots of newcomers this chapter...anyway, welcome to Destiny's Call, Matt! Hope you enjoy it. As I've stated before, Ben will get a legendary weapon. As for Oaka? You won't see him, really, until the sequel. I had no plans of putting him in, as he really doesn't play a major role.

Auron's Fan: Welcome to Destiny's Call! Okay, allow me to clarify. I thought it was clear enough, but maybe not. Cid was hovering the airship overhead the entire time. After beating Seymour, we found the exit to the Purifico, and left, walking back out into Bevelle, and happened to see Cid. We got his attention, and that's it. I'll review your story if I get a chance, as well.

anbu713: If you read my note at the top, you'll see how I decided to change the weapons. And yes, I said no one was safe, not even myself. Thanks for the compliments on the fight scenes, too.

Whew...finally. Onwards, to the next, and possibly final, interlude!

* * *

Chapter 30—Never Look Back

After a few minutes of preparation, I'm finally ready to start the quest for the legendary weapons.

"Where to, boy?" Cid asks, and I think for a moment.

"Okay, first place is...Mushroom Rock Road." I tell him, and he sets the course, as we fly off at top speed back to the area. After about 20 minutes, we arrive at Mushroom Rock Road, and Cid sets the airship down, everyone climbing out.

"Take the lead, Ben. You know where to go." Auron says, and I nod, walking down the path towards the statue that is the key to Auron's legendary weapon. It takes a few minutes of searching to remember where it is, but eventually, I come upon the statue of Lord Mi'ihen, for who I can only assume the Mi'ihen Highroad is named for. Looking around, I notice a seemingly inconspicious glyph on one of the rock walls, and I smile, going over to it, and touching it. Suddenly, the glyph begins to glow brightly, and a burst of magic flies out from it, striking the dirt a small distance away. A small explosion occurs, but when the dust clears, a shining gold treasure chest sits in the crater formed, and I smile even wider, walking over to it, and examining it.

"Locked. I have just the key." I say to myself, unsheathing my sword, and smashing the blade down on the lock, the ancient lock shattering easily. Opening the chest, I pull out a large sword, marked with ancient designs, the blade splitting halfway towards the tip to form two different sections of blade, each ending in a semicircle.

"This is the Masamune. Auron, this weapon belongs to you." I tell him, handing him the exquisite weapon, which glows slightly when placed in Auron's hands. The warrior monk nods, and straps Masamune to his back. "Alright. There's one more here, but it's not accessible by land. We'll have to get the airship." I tell everyone, heading back towards it.

* * *

"Well? Did you find it?" Cid asks, when we return. Nodding, I stride over to the auto-pilot panel, and scrunch my face up, trying to remember the coordinates I need. 

"Yeah, we found the first one. Masamune. The second is also here...I just need to remember where." I tell him, and finally snap my fingers, inputting the coordinates to the second weapon. Cid takes control of the airship, following the coordinates, and we fly over part of Mushroom Rock Road, before hovering over a large chasm below, dreary and unclear.

"Alright, this is the place." I tell Cid, and he pushes a button, dropping a rope ladder to the ground for us. Climbing down, I suddenly realize how dark it is, and curse myself for not thinking to bring some kind of light source. I can see, but barely. Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I start down the chasm, sword drawn just in case. The chasm is wide, but not very long, and after only a minute of walking, we reach the end.

"Okay...where is it..." I mutter to myself, looking around the area, but seeing nothing. "It has to be here..." Walking a few feet towards one wall of the chasm, I suddenly trip over something, and fall. As everyone walks over to help me up, I look over at where I tripped, and notice a piece of metal.

"Found it!" I say, and everyone walks over, looking at the buried chest, the top the only thing visible. "Now, how do we get it out..." I mutter, looking around.

"Hey, look at this!" Yuna says, and I turn, to see another glyph on the rock wall.

"Touch it." I tell her, and she nods, touching the glyph softly. The glyph starts to glow, and another beam shoots out at the chest, blasting the dirt away. As I wipe the dirt off my shirt from the small explosion, I look over and see a black chest, fully uncovered from the dirt. Striding over and breaking the lock on it, I pull out a clawed weapon, orange and black, with two blades at the end, much like a slightly open pair of scissors.

"Godhand. Rikku, this belongs to you." I tell her, walking over and handing her the weapon, which glows much like the Masamune did. Smiling, she puts the Godhand in a bag at her side, and we walk back towards the area we started at, climbing back up the rope ladder and into the airship.

"Two down, 5 to go." I say, walking back into the bridge. "Cid, I have our next location. Thunder Plains." I tell him, and he nods, piloting the airship away from Mushroom Rock Road, and towards Guadosalam. Apparently, you can't travel straight into the Thunder Plains, because of the never-ending lightning storm.

* * *

After a while, we reach Guadosalam, and Cid drops the rope ladder again, having no place to land outside of the underground city. We all climb down, and enter the city once again, walking towards the Thunder Plains entrance. Rikku doesn't come with us, for obvious reasons. 

"Which one of us does this weapon belong to?" Tidus asks, and I smirk.

"You'll have to find out." I tell him, and he gives me an annoyed look, causing me to grin. After a minute, we walk out onto the plains, and I look around, not immediately seeing what I'm looking for. Beginning to walk, everyone is silent, and I start to wonder what they're thinking.

'_Wonder how it feels to know something has been lost for a thousand years...and then someone just shows up, knowing right where it is? They must know something's up with me...I just hope no one asks any more than they already have. I don't want to explain.'_

My thoughts are stopped by a sight in front of me. A small stone, with a picture of a Qactuar fiend on it sits in front of me, and I smile, kneeling down and touching the stone. The stone glows, humming softly, before a misty image rises from it, the spirit of the Qactuar within the stone leaving. Standing back up, I turn to everyone.

"That's what we're looking for. There's two more out here." I tell them, and everyone nods, splitting up a small distance from each other, and beginning to search.

"Over here!" Wakka yells after a minute, and I walk over, seeing that he has found the second of the stones. Touching it, we're treated to much the same display the first showed us, and I nod, looking back at everyone.

"One more." I say, everyone resuming the search. A few minutes pass, and we've scoured most of the immediate area. Suddenly, Lulu's voice breaks in over the thunder.

"I found it!" she yells to us, and we all run over to her, seeing the final stone in front of us. I touch it, and a third spirit ascends into the sky from the stone.

"Alright. Now, follow me." I tell them, walking off, everyone following me down the plains.

After a few minutes, and a close call or two with lightning bolts, I stop, pointing into the distance.

"See that?" I ask, and Tidus walks up beside me, looking over.

"What...is it?" he asks, and I smile.

"Qactuar ghost." I say simply, walking towards the ghostly fiend. Tidus' eyes go wide, and he pulls out his sword, following me. Looking back, I chuckle at Tidus' paranoia, before turning to the ghost. The ghost moans, before flying off towards a ruined lightning tower in the distance.

"Let's go!" I yell, starting to run after the ghost, everyone following me quickly, so as to not lose the spirit. The spirit is quick, and we don't catch up to it until a moment after it reaches the tower. The ghost glows softly, and vanishes, and suddenly, a bolt of lightning comes crashing down right in front of us, making everyone step back, as a dust cloud rises from the point of impact. Lowering my hands from over my eyes, I see another treasure chest, this one a sandy brown, lying on the ground in a small hole, and I shatter the lock on it, pulling out a large lance, with what appear to be tribal markings and designs on the upper half.

"The Spirit Lance belongs to you, Kimahri." I tell him, walking over and handing him the large polearm, which glows like the rest as he takes it. Nodding, I start to head back to Guadosalam, everyone else following quickly. Apparently, Rikku isn't the only one who hates this area either, when lightning is striking mere feet from you, that is.

* * *

After about 15 minutes, we arrive back at the airship, and climb aboard again, Cid flying away from Guadosalam. 

"Luca now, Cid. Simple matter this time." I say, and Cid directs the airship towards the city, again flying at top speed. About 20 minutes later, we dock at Luca, and we all step out of the airship, as I lead everyone towards the café where we stopped at earlier in Yuna's pilgrimage.

'_Funny that such an ordinary place would be the key to a legendary weapon.' _I think, walking inside the café.

"Hey, Wakka!" the bartender cries, seeing the former coach walking in the door. Wakka turns, and looks at the bartender.

"Me?" he asks, and I turn to Wakka.

"You see any _other _blitzball champions in here?" I say, sarcastically, and he shakes his head, walking over to the bartender.

"Got a little present for ya, what with you Aurochs being the champions and all now." she says, walking back into a back room, before returning with a blitzball. But not just any blitzball. This blitzball is surrounded by a ring of blades, with a six-pointed star design on two sides of it. Tossing the blitzball to Wakka, the bartender smiles as Wakka catches it, the blitzball glowing slightly as he does. "Use it well. You guys are going to defeat Sin, you know." she says, and Wakka nods.

"We'll do it, don't you worry, ya?" he says, and I chuckle.

'_Wakka's World Champion. That makes four.'_ I think, turning to everyone. "Alright, let's head back, we've got one more to find, guys." I say, walking out of the café, everyone else right behind me. "Tidus, I think you'll like finding this one. I know I will. Gives us an opportunity for some payback." I say, amused, as Tidus just gives me a blank look.

"What are you talking about?" he asks, and I laugh.

"You're about to find out." I say, walking back on board the airship, and heading for the bridge. Walking over to the auto-pilot panel, I pull up the coordinates menu, and input the coordinates for our next destination, Baaj Temple, Cid acknowledging the coordinates, and flying off towards the ruined temple.

* * *

As we arrive at the temple, Tidus suddenly gasps, turning to me. 

"This place..." he says, and I nod.

"Yep. Now do you get it?" I ask, and he nods.

"Oh yeah...that fish is going down!" he exclaims, and I laugh.

"You're telling me. I'm eager to turn that thing into sushi!" I say, turning to everyone. "It's underwater, so Tidus, Rikku, Wakka, and I will go. We'll be back before you know it." I tell them, and the three of them step up and join me, as we head down the rope ladder, and jump into the water below.

"Okay...where is that thing..." I mutter, looking around for the chest with the fifth weapon in it. Finally, I spot it, near a secluded corner of the small pond, and I start to swim over to it. Suddenly, a roar catches my attention, and I turn around, to see our old friend Geosgaeno. Smiling, I draw my sword, and swim to join the others. Rikku pulls out Godhand, and Wakka holds World Champion, Tidus drawing the Brotherhood as well.

_(Play FFX Enemy Attack theme)_

"Everyone ready?" he asks, and we all nod, as myself, Tidus, and Rikku swim in for an attack, Wakka's World Champion slicing through the water to bite into Geosgaeno, the mighty creature not looking so mighty now, compared to the first time we fought it. Slashing down, both swords and Rikku's claw cut deeply into the fish, and it roars in pain, attempting to swipe us away. We all dodge though, and Wakka yells out an attack.

"Dark Buster!"

The attack slams into Geosgaeno, hurting it more, but not blinding it. Thinking, I quickly shout out a strategy.

"Tidus, you and I will go in close and keep it busy. Wakka, keep attacking from the back. Rikku, any kind of elemental items you have, use them, it's weak to everything. Let's go!" Swimming in, Tidus and I slash ferociously at the fiend, intent on payback for our first encounter. World Champion flies in again, striking the fiend in the head this time, disorienting it, and an Ice Gem flies in behind it, a Blizzaga attack striking the fiend squarely in the chest. Geosgaeno roars, and swats the both of us away, sending us tumbling through the water.

"Catch!" I hear Wakka yell, and suddenly see his blitzball crackle with electricity, before he kicks it hard towards the fish, the impact shocking the mighty fiend all over, causing it to twitch in pain. It bellows again, and swims towards Wakka, slashing down at him, but Wakka swims out of the way, throwing the blitzball into it's side again. Rikku turns away for a minute, before looking at the fiend and throwing something, a chain of half a dozen Firaga spells smashing into the creature, which is now looking much the worse for wear.

"Take this!" Tidus yells, darting in and slashing once, then twice, then continuing to slash from different angles, his Overdrive striking the fiend six times before stopping. Darting in, I slash upwards at the fiend twice, two gashes appearing across it's already mangled body, causing it to cry out again.

"Tidus, want the honors?" I ask, and he smiles, nodding.

"You bet!" he yells, swimming in and bringing the Brotherhood up in a powerful arc, cutting through Geosgaeno's head, the creature writhing in pain for a moment, before bursting into a cloud of pyreflies, which float up into the sky.

_(End FFX Enemy Attack theme)_

"Finally..." I mutter, swimming over to the chest, and smashing the lock on it. Reaching inside, I pull out a small doll, clad in orange armor, and holding a tiny knife in it's right hand.

"Onion Knight...the fifth legendary weapon." I say, tucking the small doll away, and giving a thumbs-up to the trio, who all nod, as we swim back to the surface. Climbing back up the rope ladder, I shake myself off, hating the cold, wet feeling.

* * *

Walking back into the bridge, I give a small smile, walking over to Lulu, and removing the doll from my pack. "Here. This is the Onion Knight, and it belongs to you, Lulu." I tell her, and she nods, taking the small doll, which glows like the rest for a moment. 

'_I guess the glows signify that it found it's proper owner.' _I think, turning to Cid. "Thanks for all your help, Cid. We couldn't have done it without you. That's all of them from other places. The final two lay in our next destination, the Calm Lands."

"Don't thank me. Just give Sin a nice whoopin' for me, ya hear!" he says, nodding slightly. Chuckling, I turn to Auron and Yuna.

"So, where to now? Should we head back to Macalania to rest, and then head on to the Calm Lands?" I ask, Auron and Yuna looking at each other.

"It would be a good idea to rest." Yuna says, nodding slightly. "Macalania it is, then." Nodding in acknowledgment, I turn back to Cid.

"Well, next destination is Macalania. Let's hit it!" I say, and I see him grin, chuckling slightly.

"For a kid so young, you love giving orders, don't you?" he asks, and I laugh.

"Usually? No. But, sometimes I will, if I have to. Or, if I'm put in that position by someone else, that is." I tell him, and he shakes his head.

"Kids giving orders to the adults...what's this world coming to..." he mutters, taking the controls of the airship again. Laughing, I sit down at another control panel, and smile, happy that my task is somewhat complete.

* * *

Well, that's the next, and hopefully final, interlude before the plot wraps itself up. Next up, Macalania yet again, and the Calm Lands! As always, please read and review!


	31. Chapter 31: Where I Belong

Disclaimer: I do not own the song '1000 Words'.

Hm. Another chapter, and much quicker than usual. Inspiration strikes again. Ah well, on to the replies.

ShadowStar05: Thanks.

Iron Reaver: Yeah, that was quite the amusing conversation. And my stereo is gimped now...thanks a ton...

Gester: If you really stop to think about it, once you have relatively powerful characters for the fights that ensue, I.E. Geosgaeno, and become good at the mini games, it IS pretty easy to acquire them. Just a little time-consuming. And as I said before, what do butterfly chases and chocobos have to do with the most powerful weapons in Spira?

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: It's coming soon enough, don't worry.

desert-tiger: I hope it'll be interesting enough as to how he gets it and what it is. It won't be very long now.

Now that that's over with, onwards to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 31—Where I Belong 

"Well, kiddies, we're here. Macalania Woods." Cid says, and I look up, sheathing my sword again. My examination of it has been going on for the past 10 or 15 minutes now, and my mind is in a state of confusion.

'_I feel...I feel as though I belong more here than in my world. But...would it really be right to stay? I can't just leave everyone that I know back home to stay, but...I can't just leave Rikku.'_

"Are you coming, Ben?" Tidus asks, tapping me on the shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry. Zoned out there for a minute." I say, standing up and walking out, towards the airship exit.

* * *

When I get outside, I recognize the area. It's the place with one of the biggest trees in the forest, near the pond. Probably the prettiest place in Macalania Forest. Smiling a little, I walk over towards a secluded area, and stare out over the tranquil waters. 

'_I don't know what to do. Do I stay, or do I go...how will everyone take it? How will Rikku react? I just don't know...'_

"What's wrong?" A voice behind me snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, hey Yuna. It's...well, I'm not really even sure, to tell you the truth." I reply. She scared me a little; I didn't even hear her walk up behind me.

"Do you want to talk?" she asks, and I contemplate the offer for a moment, before nodding silently.

"I...I don't know where I belong. I feel like I belong back home, with my family and friends, but I also feel like I belong here, that I'd be happier here...but I don't know. I'm so confused right now..." I trail off, looking from Yuna to the lake, and back again.

"Follow your heart, Ben." she says, and I look her in the eyes.

"Follow your heart, huh...how ironic...my heart's the one thing I can't follow." I say, chuckling a little.

Walking over, Yuna puts a hand on my shoulder. "You can. You just don't know how yet." she says, before turning and walking off.

"Maybe...maybe you're right." I say softly to myself, looking back over the lake. It's amazing how much talking can help. Just talking that short time with her has made me feel better.

I don't really know why, but I feel like singing. To be more precise, singing 1000 Words. This is the first song that's coming to my mind, so may as well go along with it. I usually don't sing much, unless I'm alone, but I don't really care right now.

It's a little strange, though. I can hear the melody in my mind, but it's almost as if I can hear it out loud too. I can hear my voice, carried out over the open expanse of the lake too, but the melody seems to be there, more so than the sound of my singing.

_I_'_I can hear the melody...that's definitely it...but no one should know about this song but me...unless...' _My thoughts during the last part are broken by the melody moving into the chorus. As I continue to sing, and the chorus ends, I take a moment to think during the instrumental part.

"What is going on?" I say softly to myself. I can hear the melody clearly, as if someone were playing it right beside me. "Wait, if the melody is here, does that mean..." I trail off, smiling softly. Continuing to sing, I'm pleasantly surprised to hear Lenne's voice _singing with me_. Despite how unusual this seems to me, I don't stop singing, and pretty soon finish the last chorus, before taking a moment to gather my thoughts.

As the melody fades, I find myself staring in disbelief over the crystal waters of the lake. The entire melody was just played along with the words to the song. But, no one was around to play it, and to say the least, no one should know it.

"Lenne...was that your doing...? Wait a minute...it had to be. She was just singing with me, it had to be her work...but how...she's in the Farplane...it doesn't make sense." I mutter to myself. "Maybe my being here affects more than I originally thought. Maybe it affects the Farplane too...I don't know..." Shaking my head, I try to clear the thoughts away, when I hear a noise behind me. Turning, I see Yuna standing at the edge of the path, clapping softly.

"That was nice. I didn't know you could sing." she says, and I suddenly go red, realizing she had been listening the entire time.

"You...were listening...?" I stammer, almost embarrassed. Yuna just nods, and I feel myself going even redder.

"Don't be embarrassed...you sing quite nicely. But...who was singing with you? I didn't see anyone. And, for that matter, where was the music coming from?" she asks, and I snap back into reality.

"Honestly, I don't know where the music was coming from." I tell her, though leaving out my speculations. "And as for who was singing with me...you'll know later." I say, smiling a little and walking off, leaving Yuna staring at me with a confused look.

"Did Yuna come this way?" Tidus asks, as I walk back towards the group. Nodding, I point towards the lake, and he nods. "Thanks." he says, walking towards her. Stopping, and turning, I decide to listen in. I have a penchant for eavesdropping, it seems. Standing, or floating, in the middle of the lake, Yuna turns after hearing Tidus approach, but turns back to the lake. Tidus walks into the water as well, moving beside Yuna, as she begins to speak.

"I always thought that this would be easier somehow. I thought that everyone would help me...with all my new friends together beside me. I've been trying so hard."

"Maybe you're trying too hard." Tidus says, looking out over the lake. "They told me...everything." Yuna looks at Tidus, slightly startled.

"Everything?" she asks, Tidus nodding. "Well, so then...you know."

"Yeah." he says, looking at her. "I'm sorry." Yuna also turns to face him, as he continues. "It's just, you know, all those things I said. Like, 'Let's go get Sin!', or about Zanarkand...I didn't know what would happen to you, Yuna. I guess...I hope it didn't make you sad. Forgive me."

"I wasn't sad." she says. "I was happy." Tidus looks at her for a moment longer, before diving underwater. A moment later, he resurfaces, a few feet from her.

"Yuna. Just don't do it."

"The pilgrimage?" she asks, and he nods.

"Yeah. That's right. Forget all about Sin, about being a summoner. Forget all that. You know, live a normal life. Come on now, Yuna, what do you say?" Yuna thinks for a moment, before looking at Tidus.

"Maybe I will." she replies, and Tidus looks a little shocked.

"Huh?" he asks, swimming back up to her.

"Wouldn't everyone be surprised?" she asks.

"Yeah." Tidus agrees. "Except Rikku. She'd be with you. Lulu and Wakka wouldn't hold out long."

"Kimahri would say yes, too, I know. But Sir Auron..." she trails off, Tidus looking at her.

"I'll make him understand, Yuna. It's the least I can do for you."

"No, I should tell him." she says, shaking her head softly. "He deserves it." Laying back on the water, and beginning to float, Yuna looks up at the sky. "What'll I do if I give up my pilgrimage?" she asks, Tidus appearing to think for a moment, before looking at her.

"Hey! Zanarkand! Let's go to Zanarkand!" he says, Yuna giving him an odd look. "Not the one in Spira, the one I'm from. Yeah, we can all fly there! Everyone can go! Then we'll have a big party at my place!" Tidus says, starting to get excited.

"And then we could see blitzball!" Yuna says, moving back to a standing position in the water.

"Yeah!" Tidus exclaims, smiling at Yuna.

"Your Zanarkand Abes would play! We could all watch you play, in the stadium all lit up at night! I'd cheer and cheer until I couldn't cheer anymore!" Yuna says, sounding quite happy.

"Right on!" Tidus agrees.

"Well, what about after the game?" Yuna asks, voice quiet again.

"We'd go out and have fun!" Tidus replies.

"In the middle of the night?"

"No problem! Zanarkand never sleeps! Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out, one by one. The stars fade...then the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire. It's kinda rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter, till everything glows. It's really...pretty. I know you'd like it." Tidus says, painting quite a beautiful picture with words.

"I'd like to see it, someday." Yuna says softly.

"Well, you can, Yuna. We can both go!" he says, as a faint ripple hits the area around them. "Yu...?" he says, noticing Yuna's head held down now, shoulders shaking a little, as she sobs.

"I can't. I just can't! I can't go!" she exclaims, crying harder now. Tidus walks over to her, and puts a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Yuna." he says, softly, Yuna looking up at him, before he pulls her into a passionate kiss. Yuna doesn't resist, and they go underwater, Yuna wrapping her arms around Tidus as they sink into the lake. Smirking, I walk back to the others, humming softly to myself.

* * *

"Rikku...can I talk to you? Alone?" I ask, as I enter the clearing where everyone else is. 

"Sure..." she says, standing up and following me, as I walk over to another secluded part of the forest. "So, what's on your mind?" she asks, and I sigh.

_(Play FF8 theme Where I Belong)_

"Rikku...when we beat Sin...I'm going to have to make a choice. Stay here...or go back where I belong." I say, looking over at her, before turning away. "I don't know what to do. Here...I have friends, people who I can trust. Back home, I have family, people I care about more than anything else in the world...but no life I'd like to lead."

"Well...what do you _want _to do? That's more important than anything. You have to do what you think is right, you know?" she says, and I turn back to her.

"I want...I want to stay here. I want to be here, with you, and everyone else. But...I can't just leave my family behind. Rikku...I love you, more than I've loved anyone else. I just can't leave you behind either...but I might have to. I hope you can forgive me." I say, almost ready to cry myself.

"Ben...I love you too...but if you feel like you want to leave, that's your choice. I'll still love you...no matter what you choose to do." she tells me, and I smile, walking up to her.

"Thank you." I say, before pulling her into a kiss, Rikku embracing me as well.

'_I wish this moment wouldn't end...I've finally found happiness, and might have to leave it behind. But...there are some things you just have to do.' _I think, before breaking the kiss.

_(End FF8 theme Where I Belong)_

Walking back to the clearing, I notice Yuna and Tidus walking back as well, holding hands. Yuna stops, before looking at all of us, turning to each one as she speaks.

"Sir Auron? Wakka? Lulu? Kimahri? Rikku? Ben? Everyone, we leave at dawn. And...I'm sorry for putting you through all of this. And...um..." she says, Auron cutting her off by walking over to her.

"Enough. You need your rest." he tells her, and I look up, to notice it's getting dark. The trees' shade mimics the darkness of the evening, so it's somewhat hard to tell sometimes when it's late.

"Yes. Good night." she says, walking over to a small area of the grassy clearing, and lying down. Everyone else does much the same, and I yawn, finding a small spot, and lying down.

'_I hope everything goes alright...I really do...' _I think, before falling off to sleep.

* * *

Well, onwards to the Calm Lands, legendary weapons, and the foot of Mount Gagazet! As always, please review! 


	32. Chapter 32: Silence Before The Storm

Talking is overrated. Straight to the replies we go, ya?

Iron Reaver: First point. I will SLAY the law ninjas. Second, it was supposed to be mushy. It's a sappy moment. And third, long as I put a disclaimer withthem saying I don't own them, they're useable. So ha, ha, and did I mention, HA?

ninfan: Welcome to Destiny's Call, ninfan! If you want to see Ben's bio, go to my profile, and click on the 'homepage' link near the top. One of the blog entries on my site is Ben's bio.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: (In restaurant worker voice) We don't serve those here, you'll have to go to the one in Luca for those.

FFfanboyX: (Calmly summons Bahamut, who obliterates all the fiends with a Mega Flare) Okay, now. To answer your question, which I am sorry for forgetting...the others have already found out I'm not from this world, but the details as to how I know everything about Spira will be left unsaid. Ben, in the story, is how I think I would act if I were actually dragged into Spira. So, yes, I do somewhat have a crush on Rikku. Though, Yuna is my favorite character from FFX, actually.

SS5Matt: You'll have to wait till the end to find out. I'll read your story, too, if I get the chance, once you get it up.

Auron's Fan: Hehehe, gotta love singing 1000 Words at 2 in the morning. My family already thinks I'm insane, so it wouldn't worry them too much. And no, Lenne isn't Ben's guardian angel.Ben's just...how shall we say, overly curious about what has yet to happen. Which leads to interesting things happening.

desert-tiger: You got it.

: Welcome to Destiny's Call, whoever you are! Heh. Mind giving me a name to call you by, if you continue to review? Makes things easier. And, as I told Matt above, you'll have to wait to find out.

Alright, now, on to the Calm Lands!

* * *

Chapter 32—Silence Before The Storm

"Ugh...morning already. Gah..." I mumble to myself, waking up and looking around. Most of the others are awake now, preparing to head into the Calm Lands, which lie just beyond our current location.

"Let's go, everyone." Yuna says, looking towards the path leading to the Calm Lands.

"You're awfully cheerful this morning." I say, stretching slightly, and re-attaching my katana and wakizashi to my back and side, respectively.

"Yes...I suppose I am." Yuna says, smiling.

"Well, better to be happy." I tell her, turning and walking towards the path, stopping a short distance from it.

"We're going?" Tidus asks, and I nod.

"Yeah." I say simply, as Yuna and Auron begin to walk down the path, everyone else behind them. Tidus and I look at each other for a moment longer, before following them towards the open plains of the Calm Lands.

* * *

"The Calm Lands." Lulu says as we arrive, motioning towards the vast, open area. "Long ago, the high summoners fought Sin here. The road ends here. Beyond, there's no towns, no villages. Only endless plains." 

"This is it...Mount Gagazet lies beyond, and then...then Zanarkand." I say, looking out over the area.

"Many summoners stray from their path and lose their way here." Auron explains, looking at the rest of us.

'_And I have to find Tidus and Yuna's weapons while we're here, too...' _I think to myself, beginning to walk down the incline towards the lower part of the area. The Calm Lands are huge, easily several miles in length. Hills surround the area, and the towering Mount Gagazet lies beyond a small, almost unseeable rope bridge at the other side. Noticing no one is following, I stop, and begin to walk back to the others. Yuna looks up at the sky, before suddenly falling to the ground, lying on her back and staring at the clouds.

"I've always known where to go." she says, Tidus walking up beside her and looking down.

"I...I won't let you die. I'll find a way, somehow." he tells her, extending a hand to help her up, which she takes. Tidus pulls her back to her feet, and she smiles, before beginning to walk down onto the plains.

"Let's go." she says to us, everyone beginning to follow her down.

As we walk across the Calm Lands, I utter a silent prayer. Thankfully I loved to walk back home, because the distance is not exactly what most would consider a short trip. No one really seems to be concerned with the distance right now, though. Everyone seems to have other things on their minds, and I can't really say I blame them. Blinking, I look ahead, and smile.

"Finally. A place to rest." I mutter to myself, seeing a small shop ahead in the distance, maybe a half mile from where we are now.

It takes another couple minutes, but we eventually reach the shop.Getting a chance to relax before starting the second half of the trip along the plains is always a good thing. As we arrive, an older man walks up to us, wearing the robes of a priest or monk. Lulu's eyes widen a little as she sees him.

"Father Zuke!" she says, looking in his direction, the elderly man walking up to her.

"Long time no see." he tells her, nodding, before turning to face Yuna. "You are Yuna?" he asks, and she nods. "Hmm...you certainly don't look like Maester Kinoc's murderer." At this, my eyes go a little wide. I'm not the only one; Wakka and everyone else, besides Auron, seem to be shocked over this.

"What'd you say?" Wakka asks in disbelief.

"Please, tell us what has happened!" Yuna insists, looking at Father Zuke.

"Maester Mika just issued a personal order, you know. It says that you and your guardians murdered Maester Kinoc and fled. We are to kill you on sight, or so it says." he explains, and I clench a fist.

"It wasn't us...it was that no-good excuse for a Guado, Seymour, that killed Kinoc! Mika's trying to pin this on us, to save his fellow Maester...the dirty fiend!" I say, more than a little angry at the news, even though it was to be expected. Nodding, Father Zuke turns to me.

"As I said, Yuna does not look like the person who murdered Maester Kinoc. I had figured that something was amiss myself." he says, as Auron turns to him.

"What of Bevelle?"

"Things are calm on the surface, but the depths are turbulent. After the death of Maester Kinoc, Kelk Ronso left Yevon."

"Convenient. Getting around will be easier with Yevon in disarray." Auron replies, giving a short nod of acknowledgment.

"But be careful, my friends." Father Zuke says, turning to the rest of us. "You have been branded enemies of Yevon. You should avoid temples for the time being."

"Thank you, Father Zuke, for your warning." Yuna says, bowing respectfully.

"Father, you came all the way here just to tell us this?" Lulu asks, facing the older man.

"To tell the truth, I was a bit curious to see...this summoner you are guarding. I hope her pilgrimage goes well. For your sake, too."

"Thank you, Father." Lulu says, giving a short nod.

"I must be off. I shall pray for all of you." Father Zuke says, doing the prayer gesture. Lulu, Yuna and I do it as well, as the older man walks off.

"Who was that?" Tidus asks Lulu, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Until half a year ago, he was a summoner. Wakka and I were his guardians." she explains, Wakka stepping up beside her.

"It was kind of a short pilgrimage." Wakka says, looking at Lulu.

"He gave up halfway. Here, on this plain. Now, he is a monk at the Bevelle temple. This is my third pilgrimage as a guardian. Father Zuke was my second. And my first, well...it ended here, too. I've never been to the lands beyond. Mount Gagazet towers to the north, and Zanarkand lies beyond that."

"So...it's almost over." I mutter to myself, walking over to the front of the shop, and looking around at the ground.

"What's up, Ben?" Tidus asks, walking over.

"I'm looking for something...another legendary weapon is here. But, I'm not quite sure of the exact place." I say, continuing to stare at the ground. Finally, I shrug, and point a palm at the ground. "Blizzara!" The ice shard slams into the ground, throwing dirt up in a small area, and I frown, seeing nothing. Suddenly, a small glint catches my eye, and I bend down, to see the corner of what appears to be a treasure chest underneath the surface. Smiling, I cast another two Blizzara spells on the ground around the chest, before beginning to dig with my hands.

"What did you find?" I hear Yuna ask, and I look up, to notice everyone standing around me. Standing up, drawing my sword, and smashing the lock on the chest, I reach inside and pull out a beautifully crafted staff, the top almost looking like a butterfly, a bright orange and gold. The length of the staff is blue, and two small, golden cords are attached to the staff, right below the top design.

"This...is Nirvana. This is your legendary weapon, Yuna." I say, handing the staff to Yuna, who gasps.

"This...is mine...?" she asks, slowly accepting the staff.

"Yeah. It is." I say simply, looking over at her. Yuna looks at me for a moment, then at Nirvana, then back at me. Suddenly, Yuna takes her old staff, and hands it over to me. "What? Yuna, why are you giving me this?" I ask, thoroughly confused.

"You should take it. I have this staff now. Besides, you're a summoner too, you know?" she says, and I pause, letting what she just said sink in. Nodding slowly, I take the staff from her, looking at it, before smiling.

"Thanks, Yuna." I say, grasping the staff in my right hand. "Well, Tidus, looks like you and I are the odd guys out, huh?" I say, chuckling slightly.

"Suppose so." he says, looking around, not really seeming to be focused on anything.

"We should go now." Yuna says, facing towards the bridge leading to Gagazet. Nodding, everyone looks once at the shop, before we walk off towards the mountain's entrance.

* * *

"Wait a moment." I say suddenly, looking over and noticing a small path, leading down into the canyon. 

"What is it?" Yuna asks, stopping and facing me.

"The final legendary weapon..." I mutter, walking towards the canyon. "You guys can just wait here, won't be but a second." I say, descending into the canyon, Everyone, to my surprise, stays instead of following me. The chasm is quite large, and soI can't help but wonder what caused such a large gash in the plains. An attack from Sin long ago? Or maybe one of the Final Aeons attacking?

"No...wait...I remember now. One of the high summoners a few hundred years ago did this, during his fight with Sin." I say to myself, looking around. The chest is nowhere to be found. "Must be deeper down the chasm." I mutter, walking farther. The chasm appears to go the entire way through the Calm Lands, and I realize that I could be walking for quite a while. "Tidus, why did your weapon have to be in the worst location..."

After a minute of walking and searching, I finally come across an indentation in the chasm wall. Sitting inside of the niche is a treasure chest, which looks like it would be gold, but years of dirt and rock around it have given it a dull brown color. Breaking the lock, and lifting the dusty lid, I sigh in relief, as I pull out a long sword, blue in color. The entire blade is a shimmering blue, much like Tidus' Brotherhood, but with a silver edge. The handguard has a golden design over it, and the handle is long enough to accommodate use with two hands, but it appears to be able to be wielded one-handed as well.

"The Caladbolg. Last of the legendary weapons. Finally." I say, turning around, shouldering the sword and heading back towards the exit of the chasm.

"Well?" Tidus asks, a look of curiosity on his face as I walk back up the incline to the plains. That is, before he notices the sword that I'm carrying.

"This is the Caladbolg. Tidus, this is your weapon." I say, handing the sword to him.

"Wow..." he mutters, examining the weapon. "Thanks." Giving a small nod of acknowledgment, I turn to Yuna.

"That's it. Ready to go again." I tell Yuna, who nods slowly, beginning to lead us once again towards the towering form of Gagazet.

* * *

Finally, about 15 minutes later, we reach the wooden bridges that will take us over the chasm, and to Mount Gagazet. Crossing the first one, I steal a glance back at the Calm Lands, knowing it'll be the last time I see it. Such a peaceful place. 

"Halt!" a voice cries, making me turn back around, only to come face to face with a duo of Guado.

"Summons from Lord Seymour! Come with us!" the second shouts, and Yuna steps forward.

"We have nothing to discuss with Maester Seymour!" she yells, Tidus stepping up beside her.

"Yeah, so out of our way!"

"Lord Seymour's commands must be obeyed. You will come!" the first says, as the second nods.

"I warn you, the maester doesn't need you alive." Motioning to a path, the second Guado follows the first back towards Gagazet, as a large, golem-type creature ascends the path.

_(Play Chrono Trigger theme Black Omen)_

"Defender X...oh boy." I mumble, gripping the staff tightly. Magic will probably be my best bet here, as melee doesn't exactly look like it'll do a whole lot against this thing.

"Hmph." Auron grunts, raising his sword up. "Armor Break!" Running in, Auron brings his sword down, the Defender moving a little, but a visible crack in its body now appearing.

"One effective attack...Thundara!" I cry, blasting a bolt of lightning magic at the fiend. Lulu follows suit a moment later.

"Blizzaga!"

The two magic attacks slam into the Defender X, who makes a noise sounding like a grunt, before lumbering over to me, and swinging a massive fist. Trying to dodge, I'm not quite quick enough, and get slammed back into the ground, the wind completely gone from my lungs. Auron takes another strike, as does Tidus, but Auron is also hit by the massive fiend. As it turns to Tidus, it raises one fist, and grips its wrist with the other hand. After a moment, the fiend's hand flies off, slamming into Tidus, before moving back towards the fiend of its own accord, and reattaching itself.

"Holy!" Yuna's magic spell slams into the Defender X with great force, and it stumbles back, before lumbering forward to Yuna, and throwing a punch, knocking the summoner off her feet, and onto the ground to join the rest of us. Wakka quickly runs over to her aid, kneeling down beside her.

"Yuna!" Kimahri growls, raising his spear, as rays of light transfer themselves from the Defender to Kimahri, restoring his health and magic power. Standing up straight, Kimahri sprays a hail of bubbles at the fiend, each one striking, and forcing the fiend to step back. Kimahri then presses the attack, giving the rest of us a chance to stand back up, and continue an assault.

"Power Break!"

"Thundaga!"

"Blizzara!"

Auron darts in, striking down at the fiend, causing another crack on its body, as another bolt of lightning and a shard of ice slam into the fiend as well. Tidus looks quite angry now as he races towards the Defender X.

"Take this!" he yells, bouncing off the fiend and slashing his sword in mid air, a rain of energy waves flying from it to land under the Defender X as the ground suddenly explodes, vaulting the creature off its feet with a sickening thud. Everyone stops, waiting to see if the creature is finished. Unfortunately, the Defender X is more resilient than that, and slowly gets up, its large bulk working against it.

"That's it..." I mutter, putting my staff away for the moment and drawing my katana. "Renzokuken!" Runningtowards the fiend, I give a battle cry, before slashing furiously at the fiend's chest several times. The fiend flinches a little with each one,before I jump back, energy lacing around my body as I figure out an idea on the fly.

"Overdrive Reels!" Focusing, I pick the move I want and sheath my sword, bringing my staff back out. "Time to feel the cold." I say, holding my staff up, before mimicking Yuna, dropping into a crouch as ice crystals slam into the ground behind me. The form of Shiva appears inside, before the crystals shatter, the aeon stepping up beside me. "Diamond Dust." I order, Shiva holding two fingers up, before spinning and firing a wave of ice, freezing the Defender X solid. Smiling, Shiva snaps, as the ice enclosure suddenly bursts, sharp, magical ice shards cutting the Defender's body up.

"Enough!" Auron yells, thrusting a hand forward, and drawing his sword back. Moving back to a straight standing position, Auron takes the jug off his belt, and takes a small drink, before spitting the liquid onto his blade. Holding the blade up, it suddenly bursts into flames, as circles of black, magical symbols fly around the blade. As the flaming blade begins to glow brighter, Auron slashes downward into the ground, three balls of black energy flying up from the point of impact. Slamming into the Defender, the black balls cause the fiend to stumble back, setting it off balance for the next attack.

"Blizzaga!" Lulu cries, a large shard of ice sailing through the air and into the Defender, piercing its chest slightly, and Yuna raises her staff up.

"Holy!" she yells again, the balls of light slamming into the Defender which finally falls, dissipating into pyreflies after a moment.

_(End Chrono Trigger theme Black Omen)_

"Is everyone okay?" Yuna asks, as we regroup. Nodding, everyone looks at her, and she gives a sigh of relief. "Maester Seymour has gone too far..." she mumbles, and I nod, remaining silent for the moment.

"We need to continue onwards to Gagazet." Auron says, turning towards the entrance to the mountain.

"Yeah. We should keep moving." I say, as Auron and Yuna take the lead, leading us all into the cold, icy heights of Mount Gagazet.

* * *

Now, onwards to Ronso territory! Kimahri won't be very happy to return...but that's next chapter. As always, please review! 


	33. Chapter 33: A Test Of Will

Good bit of reviews this chapter...interesting. Anyhow, on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Alright, Auron.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Alright, Brother.

Gester: He wasn't being serious, twas meant as a joke. And yes, it was shorter than usual.

Auron's Fan: Well, I decided from the start that Yojimbo/Anima wouldn't be shown, so that explains that. The second question? I dunno WHAT he does with all that Gil. As for updating at 1 AM? The inspiration struck me. It happens at odd times sometimes.

Iron Reaver: ...You know, I should hire you. (ponders)

beastboy-had-a-brain: Good, then you'll understand the ending. (grins) Still around...10 or so chapters till the end though.

locko: Welcome to Destiny's Call, locko! As for your question, no, Yojimbo will not be acquired. Sorry.

desert-tiger: You'll see...you'll see. Just give it another chapter or so. (grins)

FFfanboyX: Seymour will catch utter heck in the fight on Gagazet. Trust me. De nada, senor.

SS5Matt: Thanks for the compliment. You'll have to wait to find out.

Kyela: If it was you who left an anonymous review with only question marks for the name, then yes, I was referring to you. Thanks, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

raiden no onna: Welcome to Destiny's Call, raiden! Glad to see another reader. Thanks for the compliment, as well.

Phew, finally. Anyhow, onwards to Gagazet!

* * *

Chapter 33—A Test Of Will

The frigid highlands of Mount Gagazet. Perfect home for the Ronso. One small problem, though. There doesn't seem to be any Ronso around.

"Where are all of the Ronso?" Tidus asks Kimahri. "I thought this was your home?"

"Kimahri not know. Ronso protect sacred Gagazet. Ronso not abandon duty." he says, looking out over the base of the mountain. Suddenly, a figure descends to the right of us, jumping off a low hill to land in front of us. The figure is revealed to be Biran, and as he seemingly glares at us, former Maester Kelk Ronso and Yenke walk up behind him.

"Summoner Yuna and guardians, leave here at once!" he yells, and now I notice many Ronso on the hills surrounding us, watching. "Gagazet is Ronso land, sacred mountain of Yevon. The mountain will not bear the footsteps of infidels!"

"Enemy of Yevon is enemy of Ronso! Leave, traitors!" Biran yells, staring us down.

"I have cast aside Yevon! I follow the temples no more!" Yuna replies, standing firm before the Ronso.

"Then you will die by those words!" Kelk yells, looking at Yuna. I put my hand on my sword handle and tense, ready for a confrontation as Yuna speaks again.

"So be it. Yevon has warped the teachings and betrayed us all!" she yells, Wakka stepping up beside her.

"Nothing but a bunch of low-down tricksters, eh?" he says.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Tidus and Rikku yell, facing down the Ronso.

"We have no regrets." Yuna says softly, and Yenke growls.

"Blasphemers!" he says, and Kimahri runs up to stand in front of Biran. Biran looks down at the smaller Kimahri, giving a small growl. Kimahri does much the same, looking up at Biran as Kelk continues to address us.

"A summoner and her guardians..."

"Lord Kelk Ronso, if I may." Lulu cuts in, looking towards the Ronso. "Have you not also turned your back on Bevelle?

"But still, you guard Gagazet as a Ronso, not a Maester. Yuna is much the same." Auron states, as Kelk gives them a thoughtful glance.

"Elder Kelk!" Biran yells, turning to the Ronso elder. "Let Biran rend them asunder!"

"No escape! Not one!" Yenke says, moving up beside Biran.

"No, we will not flee." Yuna says, shaking her head. "We will fight, and continue on."

"You have been branded a traitor, and still you would fight Sin? Lost to the temple, hated by the people, yet you continue your pilgrimage? Everything lost! What do you fight for?" Kelk asks, looking at Yuna. Yuna thinks for a moment, lowering her head, before she raises it again and looks at the Ronso elder.

"I fight for Spira. The people long for the Calm. I can give it to them. It's all I can give. Defeating Sin, ending pain...this I can do." she replies, and Kelk shakes his head.

"Even sacrificing yourself?" he asks, before turning and starting to walk away. Before he gets far, however, he stops and turns back around. "Ronso, let them pass!" he orders, the Ronso all looking at him in disbelief. "Summoner Yuna, your will is stronger than steel. Tempered steel that even the mightiest Ronso could not hope to bend. Yuna, we bow to your will! Now go! The sacred heights of Gagazet welcome you."

"We thank you." Yuna says, bowing, as she nods to us and starts to walk towards the heights of the mountain. All of us follow, headed along the path to Zanarkand.

* * *

After a minute of walking, a low growl comes from in front of us. Stopping, we look around, before a voice breaks the silence. 

"Halt!" Looking ahead, we see Biran and Yenke walking towards us.

'_When will they leave us alone...' _I think, as they approach us, looking towards Yuna.

"Haven't you bothered us enough?" Tidus asks, clearly fed up with the two.

"Summoner may pass. Guardians may pass. Kimahri not pass!" Biran says, turning his gaze towards Kimahri. "Kimahri shame Ronso brothers. Kimahri forget his birth."

"Forget his people, forget his mountain. Little Ronso! Weakling Ronso!" Yenke taunts, as Kimahri simply stands still.

"Mountain hate the weak, hate the small. If you will climb..." Biran starts, but gets interrupted by Kimahri stepping up to face them.

"Then I must prove my strength!" he says, staring the duo down.

"Think you will win?" Biran says, looking at the smaller Ronso. "You not forget who took your horn! Never forget!"

"Kimahri never beat brother Biran! Never win!" Yenke adds, laughing at Kimahri.

"This time, I win. I will win!" Kimahri declares, and Tidus moves up beside him. Kimahri moves an arm to stop him, causing Tidus to look up at Kimahri.

"This some kind of Ronso thing?" he asks, and I groan.

'_Well, of course, Tidus. What else could it possibly be?'_

"Kimahri problem." he states simply, as Biran and Yenke drop into fighting stances, gripping their spears tightly. Kimahri growls and rushes the duo, intent on proving his worth.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme Influence of Truth Appearance)_

Roaring, Kimahri swipes his poleaxe across at the duo, aiming for the chest. Biran and Yenke roll out of the way, and stand back up, bringing their spears across in a double jab at each of Kimahri's sides. Kimahri leaps forwards, before slashing the spear out in an arc to catch Biran across the chest with the dull end.

"Biran rend you asunder!" Biran shouts, before unleashing a great gout of flame from his mouth, the Fire Breath snaking out to burn Kimahri on the leg slightly. Growling, Kimahri turns to charge Biran, but is hit in the back by Yenke's spear, having turned his back on him.

"Hornless! Hornless!" he taunts, before Kimahri holds his spear out, lines of energy snaking from Yenke to himself. Roaring, Kimahri unleashes a burst of seeds from his mouth, striking Yenke and knocking him back, before spinning and bringing the spear up to deflect an overhead slash from Biran. Kicking Biran in the chest, Kimahri brings the spear down towards his shoulder, only to have the attack arrested quickly by Biran's own spear.

Yenke takes this chance to attack, unleashing a torrent of water bubbles from his mouth which strike Kimahri in the side, causing him to turn to Yenke. With a low growl, Kimahri jumps into the air and brings the spear down on Yenke, the flat side of the blade striking Yenke's head and knocking him down.

Biran charges in now, the spear whizzing around in the air as he brings it towards Kimahri's chest, who deftly blocks it before knocking the spear upwards. Growling, Kimahri brings the blade of his poleaxe across Biran's chest, drawing blood and causing Biran to step back. Yenke charges in again now, having recovered from the earlier attack, and brings a blinding blow down on Kimahri's left shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain. Swinging the spear around with his good arm, Kimahri lands a blow on Yenke's side which also draws blood, before he knocks the Ronso down with a shoulder charge. Biran stops, then kneels down on one knee, as Yenke slowly gets back to his feet, walking over to Biran while clutching his side.

_(End SO3 theme Influence of Truth Appearance)_

"Strong is Kimahri. Biran is happy." Biran says, walking away from us a moment and looking up at the mountain, before beginning to shout. "Sacred Mount Gagazet! I honor the name of strong warrior who defeats Biran. Remember always, Gagazet! That name is Kimahri!"

"Mountain knows Kimahri strong. Kimahri may pass." Yenke says, looking over at Kimahri.

"Summoner!" Biran yells, looking over at Yuna. "We Ronso will stop pursuers from temple."

"Truly?" she says, clasping her hands.

"Penance for breaking Kimahri's horn, long ago." Biran replies.

"We crush enemies following behind." Yenke says, and Kimahri nods.

"Kimahri crush enemies standing before." Kimahri replies, looking over at the duo.

"You are most fortunate summoner." Biran tells Yuna, who nods.

"Thank you."

"Ronso will shine your statue brightest." Yenke says, walking back over towards Yuna, Biran walking back towards us as well.

"Thank you. But I fear that no one will make a statue for a traitor such as I am." she says, causing Biran to clench a fist.

"Then Ronso will make!"

"With grand horn on head!" Yenke agrees, causing Yuna to smile.

"That...would be wonderful." she says, as the duo gives a final nod, and walks back towards the base of the mountain.

"We should go now." I say, facing the heights of the mountain. Everyone nods, and without any further words, we start walking along the mountain path again. Before we get very far along the path, however, we're confronted with a yell from behind.

"Summoner Yuna!" Biran yells, walking back towards us, Yenke beside him.

"What is it this time?" Tidus says, obviously annoyed with the Ronso. Approaching us, Biran begins to sing the Hymn of the Fayth, Yenke joining in a moment later. Other Ronso begin to approach, all singing as well. After a moment, we all look at each other, and join in the singing of the Hymn.

"Thank you." I tell the duo, as we all nod and start along the path once again.

* * *

The path along the mountain is beginning to get harder to travel now, steeper and rockier than before. The fiends along the path aren't helping much, either. Muttering, I cut through a Grat, as World Champion and Tidus' Caladbolg strike a Bashura fiend simultaneously, making it burst into pyreflies. Pulling out my Sphere Grid, I examine it for a moment, before smiling. 

"Finally." I say, pulling out four Ability Spheres, and inserting them into the grid. "My third level spells at last." Looking around, I notice the others doing much the same.

"Hey, what's that?" I hear Rikku say, and I turn to see her pointing to a small pile of rocks, with a spear driven into the ground in the middle. Everyone walks over, as Lulu turns to us and begins to explain.

"These mark the graves of summoners and guardians who failed." she says, and I look down. That must be the reason for the fiends.

Moving on, we come to yet another grave site, and I stare at it for a moment.

"Summoners that die up here aren't sent to the Farplane." Lulu says, and Tidus turns to her.

"Why not?"

"Who would send them?" she replies. "They die alone."

"So that means..." he trails off, Lulu nodding.

"Many have become fiends, and they may want Yuna's company."

"Well, Yuna will be fine." Tidus says, looking over at Lulu.

"You're right." she says. Walking up to the grave, I kneel a moment before standing up and pulling out my staff. Beginning to walk a short distance away, I close my eyes, preparing to do something I've seen done many times before.

"Ben, what are you doing?" Rikku asks, walking over to me.

"I'm going to send them, Rikku. They deserve it." I say simply, and Rikku looks at me for a moment longer before walking away. Focusing, I take a deep breath, before beginning to perform the sending dance I've seen done so many times in the past. As I dance, I can see pyreflies floating upwards into the sky, and I feel sadness for the summoners and guardians who have fallen. But at the same time, I feel glad that I made a difference, that I was able to let them rest in peace. Finishing the dance, I walk back over to the others, giving everyone a small look as I approach. With a small nod from Yuna, we all follow along the path once again.

* * *

The farther we go, the worse the path gets. Now, it's windy and slightly snowing, in addition to being cold and snow-covered already. Shivering, I pull my jacket out and put it on, hoping to shield myself from some of the wind. As we walk, we come to another grave site, and we all stop for a moment to look at it. 

"All this way, only to fail. It must have been tough." Lulu says, shaking her head. I just bow my head in reverence for a moment, before beginning to follow everyone up the trail again.

After a few more minutes, we come to a small ledge, looking out over the area below. Stopping, we all decide to take a break, before we finish the trip towards Zanarkand.

"Zanarkand is on the other side, you know?" Rikku tells Tidus, and I walk over to listen to their conversation.

"I know."

"Yunie is gonna get the Final Aeon, you know?"

"I know."

"I still haven't thought of anything." she says, and Tidus nods.

"Me neither." he replies.

"What are we gonna do?" she asks, a slight bit of fear creeping into her voice.

"We'll do something!" Tidus says, looking at the Al Bhed girl. "We just don't know enough yet. Until we do, we can't really help Yuna. Let's go to Zanarkand. We'll find something there. It'll all come together. I just know it!"

"Hey...just now, you sounded like a leader, you know?" Rikku says, smiling at Tidus.

"Star of the Zanarkand Abes! Didn't anyone tell you?" he replies, grinning, and I just sigh. Rikku bows before walking away, towards the ledge. Suddenly, she screams, and Tidus and I turn around quickly, running towards the ledge. When we arrive, the first thing that greets us is the smug face of Seymour, standing near the edge of the cliff.

"So, we meet again." he says, looking at me.

"Can't say it's a pleasure. How about you just give up, go to the Farplane, and save yourself the embarrassment of having your tail kicked by us yet again?" I say, glaring, before turning to Rikku. "Rikku, get the others, now!" I say, drawing my sword.

"You're not fighting him alone!" she tells us, and I shake my head.

"We'll be fine for the moment, just go, now!" I yell, and she nods, running back down the trail. Turning an eye to Tidus, Seymour begins to speak again.

"Now is your time to die. Prepare yourself, son of Jecht." he says coldly, and Tidus clenches a fist, drawing the Caladbolg.

"Not if I can help it!" he says, and another voice chimes in from behind us.

"Save some for Kimahri!" Kimahri yells, running to our side with his poleaxe in hand. The rest of the group is right behind him, and they all step up to meet us, weapons drawn.

"Lady Yuna, it is a pleasure." Seymour says, a false air of kindness in his words. Lulu just looks at Yuna.

"Yuna!" she cries, Yuna nodding and stepping forward to begin sending Seymour to the Farplane.

"A sending, so soon?" he says, looking at the summoner, who stops. "Allow me to say something to the last Ronso before I leave." Seymour gives an evil chuckle, before continuing. "Yours was...truly, a gallant race. They threw themselves at me to bar my path. One...after another..." he says, trailing off into another bout of evil laughter.

"No..." Kimahri mutters, Yuna turning to the Ronso.

"Kimahri..." she says, looking at him sorrowfully.

"Seymour...you would resort to attempted genocide to stop us? That tears it...I'm making sure you don't leave this mountain! You're going straight to the Farplane this time!" I yell, determined to make sure he does no further harm to anyone.

"I don't understand you!" Yuna shouts, looking up at Seymour.

"Allow Kimahri to die, and release him from his pain." Seymour replies, walking over to the edge of the cliff and looking over. "Spira...is a land of suffering and sorrow caught in a spiral of death. To destroy—to heal—Spira, I will become Sin. Yes, with your help." he says, looking over at Yuna. "Come with me, Yuna." he says, before shifting his gaze to Tidus, who has his sword in hand. "Once I have become the next Sin, your father will be freed again." Tidus looks like he doesn't know exactly what to say, hanging his head for a moment, before suddenly snapping his head back up to glare at Seymour.

"What do you know!" he yells, charging at Seymour. Seymour simply smirks, and ascends into the air, as a giant machina rises from behind him, off the edge of the cliff.

"Pitiful mortal." Seymour speaks, floating back towards the machina. "Your hope ends here." he says, as he collides with the thing, a flash of light blinding everyone. When it dims, we can see Seymour now merged with the machina, making him immensely more powerful than he was. "And your meaningless existence with it!" he finishes, before floating towards us, intent on ending all our lives.

* * *

Ooh...another cliffhanger. What will happen in the fight with Seymour? You'll have to read next chapter to find out! Until then, please review! 


	34. Chapter 34: Revealed Truth

Another chapter...another strange update. As I type this, it's 4 minutes to 1 in the morning. Don't ask why inspiration seems to strike at odd times, it just does. Anyway, on to the replies!

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Um...okay. Sure. I'm not hyper...yet. You'll see that side of me in the sequel. (grin)

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Urge to destroy disco...rising...

ShadowStar05: Thanks.

Auron's Fan: Okay. One at a time. Anima will not be acquired because, if you go by the storyline, it never is apparent that Yojimbo/Anima had to be gained, in order to gain the Final Aeon. So, I'm following a bit of the story facts on that one. Seymour's insane because...well...I have many theories on this. The most convincing of which has to do with his parents. But I digress. As for kindergarten? I really don't know, and shudder to think, actually.

XxCougarxX: Welcome to Destiny's Call, Cougar! Or...not really, considering you've read since the start. But whatever. I try to be accurate, it's one of the things I take pride in. Whether I really am as close as people say or not, I don't know.

desert-tiger: Oh yes, he's going down...but not without a fight. Annoying little...

anbu713: (grin) I know. Isn't it wonderful? Anyhow. No more waiting, ya?

unknown: Welcome to Destiny's Call...um...unknown! The updates won't really get any quicker, unless I have inspiration. Usually takes me about a week to write a chapter, because I try to make sure I have no errors, make sure I include everything, etc. Hope it's understandable.

Now, without further ado, the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 34—Revealed Truth

Everyone drops into a fighting stance, prepared to defeat the psychotic Maester for the third time so far.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme Cutting Edge of Notion)_

"Lance of Atrophy!" Seymour cries, not wasting any time in attacking. Charging quickly at Auron, he hits Auron with the attack, which causes Auron to groan as his skin shifts from a normal hue to a sickening gray.

"Quick, use Esuna!" I yell to Yuna, who nods, casting the spell. As Auron's skin returns to normal, Tidus, Wakka, and Kimahri triple-team Seymour.

"Take this!"

"Silence Buster!"

A duo of cries from Tidus and Wakka accompany a downward strike from Tidus' Caladbolg and a smash from World Champion. Kimahri stands up straight, and absorbs health and magic power from Seymour as Seymour takes all the hits, barely flinching, before smashing Tidus away.

"Oh man, this is going to be a hard one..." I mutter, pointing a palm at Seymour. "Firaga!" The powerful fireball launches from my palm, slamming into Seymour, but doing little to no damage at all.

"Thundaga!" Lulu cries, the lightning bolt striking Seymour, but not doing any more than the other attacks.

"This is the best you can muster? You stand no chance against me, then. Prepare for the wonderful world of non-existence! Cross Cleave!" Seymour yells, flying backwards, before swinging his two swords out, cutting into each and every one of us and throwing us back into a cliff wall.

"...That...is quite possibly...the most painful thing...I've felt yet..." I mutter, getting up slowly and looking at my now badly cut and bleeding chest. Resisting the urge to gag, I gulp down a Hi-Potion, watching the others do much the same. "Okay...that didn't go so well..." I say, looking over at the others. "Any ideas?"

"Power Break!" Auron yells, running up to Seymour and delivering a mighty slash, a cut appearing on the metal of Seymour's new body.

"Holy!" Yuna cries, the balls of light appearing from the sky and raining down on Seymour, doing another bit of damage.

"Take this, you big meanie!" Rikku yells, throwing a grenade at Seymour which explodes in his face, causing him to growl in pain.

"You insolent...how dare you strike me! Protect!" Seymour cries, casting the White Magic on himself, which protects him from physical strikes.

"Well, there goes one plan out the window...I'm not liking this..." I mutter, sheathing my katana and bringing my staff out. "Blizzaga!" I yell, pointing the staff at Seymour as a large icicle strikes him in the chest, causing him to turn to me.

"Lance of Atrophy!" he bellows, striking me with the attack. I can feel myself slowly changing into a zombie, and am unable to do anything about it. Moaning, I weakly strike at him with my staff, but he brushes the strike off.

"Blizzaga!" he yells, casting the magic at Rikku, Tidus, and Auron, who all take the attacks with a cry, stumbling back.

"Esuna!" I hear Yuna yell, casting the restoring magic on me, as I feel my strength returning. Drawing my katana again, a smile creeps across my face as I figure out how to hurt Seymour quite a bit.

"That's it...I'm taking him out. And I know just how to do it! Renzokuken!" I say, charging in at Seymour and unleashing a barrage of strikes which do nothing but bounce off the Protect spell he has active. But that was all part of the plan for me. Jumping back, I pick my finishing move quickly. "Overdrive Reels!" Focusing, I draw my staff again, and begin to summon the aeon Bahamut. As the massive dragon descends next to me, I smile, pointing at Seymour.

"Be go..."

"Too slow! Bahamut, Mega Flare!" I yell, before Seymour can take the opportunity to banish the aeon. Bahamut backflips onto all four feet, before charging an energy ball in his mouth, and firing a massive beam at Seymour, which passes through the Protect to slam into him. Dismissing Bahamut, I turn to Seymour, who cries out in pain and glares at me as the attack dissipates.

"You seem to know my weaknesses...that must be remedied!" he says, lunging at me with one of the swords. Jumping to the side, I smirk as Auron, Tidus, and Kimahri unleash a flurry of strikes at his now unprotected chest, causing him to grunt again. Suddenly, a barrage of Firaga spells slam into Seymour, eight in all. Lulu smiles, her Overdrive hurting Seymour even more. Moving back, Seymour gives an evil smile.

"Time to send you pitiful mortals to the afterlife. Reflect!" he yells, the magical barrier making spells useless. Along with the Protect almost nullifying physical strikes, I back off, trying to think of another plan. Before I can speak, Seymour yells again.

"Flare!" he yells, casting the magic not at us, but _at himself_, the magic bouncing off the Reflect and hitting Auron, the monk being knocked off his feet and burned quite badly by the powerful attack.

"Auron!" Tidus yells, looking at the fallen monk. As Yuna casts a Curaga spell on him, Tidus growls, turning to Wakka for a moment. "Wakka, when I say so, throw your blitzball at me as hard as you can!" Wakka looks a little confused, and my eyes go wide as I realize what he's about to do. Glaring, Tidus turns back to Seymour, gripping his sword tightly, and bringing a fist back.

"You're through!" he yells, running at Seymour with speed similar to Haste before laying into the deranged Maester with a barrage of slashes. Stabbing his sword into the ground suddenly, he bounces off of the handle, before yelling to Wakka. "Now!" he yells, and Wakka aims carefully, before throwing the blitzball directly at Tidus. Tidus does a flip in mid-air, and executes a perfect Sphere Shot, the ball flying down to hit Seymour in the chest with an explosion of energy.

'_Wow...he just used Blitz Ace...incredible...' _I think, awed by the attack.

Landing, Tidus grabs his sword out of the ground, turning to Seymour again.

"How'd you like that?" he taunts, Seymour growling and turning to him.

"You are a nuisance, son of Jecht. Waterga!" he yells, hitting Tidus squarely with the burst of water magic. Tidus falls, landing on his back, and Yuna runs over to him, casting a Cura spell on him as the rest of us prepare for another set of attacks.

"Hastega!"

"Magic Break!"

"Demi!"

"Silence Buster!"

My Hastega spell speeds all of our movements up drastically, as Auron runs in and unleashes the Magic Break attack on Seymour, causing the Maester to float back a little. Lulu's Demi connects, but doesn't do much, and I realize that Seymour must be down to relatively low health. Wakka's Silence Buster also hits, causing Seymour to float back more, and growl in pain.

_(End SO3 theme Cutting Edge of Notion)_

"How...how can you be this powerful...it makes no sense..." he mutters, glaring at all of us.

"It makes perfect sense! You just can't accept the fact that you just can't beat us! We're more powerful as a group than you'll ever be alone, because we watch out for one another! And now, the only thing you're going to see from now on is the Farplane!" I yell, bringing my staff out and beginning to perform the sending dance. Unfortunately, Seymour simply laughs and bursts into pyreflies, which fade away quickly. Cursing, I put my staff away after realizing that he escaped _yet again_.

"He will become Sin...with my help." Yuna says quietly, apparently to no one in particular.

"Lies. Forget them." Auron says, looking at the summoner.

"If he becomes Sin, Sir Jecht will be saved." she continues, and Auron turns towards the trail.

"We're leaving."

"You know something! Tell me!" Yuna suddenly exclaims, running up to Auron and looking him in the eyes. "Tell me!" she repeats.

"Sin's...my old man." Tidus says, hanging his head.

'_This won't be fun.' _I think, as everyone turns to Tidus, Wakka being first to speak.

"You hit your head?" he asks, and Tidus shakes his head.

"Sin is my old man. My old man became Sin! I don't know how or why he did it. I felt him, inside, and when I did, I knew it was true. My old man is Spira's suffering. Sorry." he says, looking at all of us.

"Even...knowing that Sin is your father...still, you know...I must..." Yuna says, trailing off as she now realizes what will happen when she defeats Sin.

"I know." Tidus says, nodding. "Let's get him. I think my old man would want that."

"You'd fight your own father?" Lulu says softly.

"Yeah. No problem there." Tidus replies.

"Uh...'bout your old man...you sure this ain't some kinda bad toxin dream or something?" Wakka says, to which Tidus shakes his head again. "Then, Chappu..." he trails off. "I, uh...I think I'll just pretend I didn't hear nothing. I'm getting a little confused, ya? Why...why'd all this have to happen?"

"We'll learn when we arrive. Soon." Auron says, beginning to walk along the path leading to the summit of Mount Gagazet, and effectively ending the conversation right then and there.

* * *

As we walk along the path, suddenly we come across a large, stone wall. People seem to be embedded in it, and blue mist floats all around it. A small funnel of blue energy floats upwards from the wall to the sky, and Yuna gasps upon seeing it.

"Wow!" she exclaims, Wakka turning to her.

"Wh-What are those?"

"Those are fayth." she replies, before noticing the energy trail, which causes her to gasp again. "A summoning! Someone is using these fayth! Someone is drawing energy from all of them!"

"This many?" Rikku asks, and Lulu steps up beside us to look at the wall.

"Who wields power on this scale, and what could they be calling?" she asks no one in particular.

'_I want to tell them...but they need to find out on their own.' _I think, walking over beside Rikku. Suddenly, she turns to Auron and runs up to him, staring him in the face.

"Hey, you know something, don't you? Spill the beans!"

"Look not to others for knowledge. This is your story too." he replies, walking away from Rikku a few feet before stopping.

"Yunie might die, you know?" Rikku asks, before Tidus steps up beside the wall, and turns to Rikku.

"No...Auron's right." he says, causing Rikku to give him a confused look. "This is our...this is my story." he says, turning to the wall and touching it. Suddenly, a burst of white light flashes in front of him, causing him to let out a short cry. I'm moving before he even starts falling, and I catch him as he falls unconscious.

"Tidus!" Yuna exclaims, running over to him, as I set him down gently on the ground.

"He's okay. He's just unconscious." I say, looking the fallen blitzballer over.

'_Ben?'_

'_What in the...?' _I think. Someone...or something, just talked to me. Through my mind. _'Who...wait a minute. Bahamut?' _I ask mentally, realizing who just spoke to me.

'_That's correct. I have something to tell you. Myself and the other fayth...we have a gift for you. To help defeat Sin. Follow the path back, and look carefully around to the right. You'll find it.' _he instructs, and I quirk an eyebrow, wondering what he means by that. Shrugging, I set off back towards the way we came, everyone else giving me strange glances.

"Hey, where are you going?" Rikku asks, running up beside me.

"I...to be honest? I don't really know. The fayth I got at Bevelle...it just told me something. I'm not sure what it means, but I'm going to do what it told me to." I answer, and she gives me a strange look, before shrugging.

"Okay..." she says, walking back to the others. Looking around, I continue on, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Then suddenly, a small glint from behind a rock catches my eye. Walking over to the rock, I look behind it to discover a small treasure chest. Bending down and opening it, I look inside, and gasp. Reaching inside, I pull out a pair of wrist blades, specially designed to attach to my forearms, with a small bar to hold while using them. There are three blades instead of the standard one, one going straight out from my arm, and two more, each at about a 45 degree angle to the middle blade.

"Scissors suwayyah...but, where...do they even have these in Spira?" I say, thinking out loud.

'_This is our gift to you. I looked inside your mind, and saw your choices for weapons. These stood out more than the rest.'_ Bahamut replies, as I look at the suwayyah. Putting them on, I notice they glow slightly, and my eyes go wide.

"Is this..."

'_Yes. This could be considered your legendary weapon. We fayth made the others, long ago, just after the war between Zanarkand and Bevelle.'_ he says, answering my unspoken question.

"I...I don't know how to thank you..." I say, putting the suwayyah away.

'_Help Lady Yuna defeat Sin. That will be thanks enough.'_ the fayth replies, and I smile, walking back to the others.

As I return, I notice everyone still watching Tidus, who seems to have remained unconscious the entire time I was gone. Granted, it wasn't very long. Walking up to the group, I suddenly notice Tidus groan and stir slightly, sitting up as everyone moves back to give him some room. Standing up, he looks around, before Yuna walks back up to him.

"Are you all right?" she asks, and he nods, causing Yuna to sigh in relief.

"Hey! We were so worried about you!" Rikku says, as I walk over beside her.

"You okay?" Lulu asks, and Tidus nods again.

"I...I'm okay." he replies, a small bit of tension in his voice going unnoticed to the group.

"What happened?" Yuna asks, Tidus turning to look at her.

"Nothing...I blacked out. I was dreaming. You called me...and I woke up." he says, stretching for a moment. "Nothing like a good nap." he says, grinning and looking around. "Well, I'm ready. Let's go!" Everyone nods at this, and we continue along the path to the summit.

* * *

"Oh boy...doesn't this just look wonderfully foreboding..." I mutter, as we arrive at the entrance to the cave which will take us to the summit of Mount Gagazet.

"I guess...Zanarkand is through here." Tidus says softly, and I nod, looking at the blond-haired boy.

"Yeah. This'll take us to the summit of Gagazet...and then, Zanarkand is just beyond." I say, before turning my gaze back to the cave. Rikku inches closer to me, grabbing my arm, and I look over at her. She looks a little scared, and I really can't blame her. This place looks, well...evil. Taking a deep breath, I follow Yuna into the cave, and onward to the summit of Gagazet.

* * *

Finally, Ben gets his legendary weapon! What will happen in the cave, and what is yet to come until they reach Zanarkand? You'll have to keep reading! Until next time, please review!


	35. Chapter 35: No Turning Back Now

Finally, everything is starting to wind down...or is it? Matter of opinion, I suppose. Anyhow, on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: (waves hand in front of his eyes) Are you blind? I clearly had paper.

Iron Reaver: Yes, yes, I deserve maiming. But you cannot do so. They're paying me. I told you that. And ya know, always believe me when I say I'm going to do something, because once my mind is set on it, it shall be done. (grin)

Harry4: Thank you for the kind words. I don't normally think of myself as talented, but recently I went back and looked at something I wrote about a year ago, and compared it to this. It made my jaw drop to see how much I've improved.

EkaSwede: Welcome to Destiny's Call, Swede! No, I haven't been playing the game while I write, it's a combination of good memory, having the script handy, and simple writing technique. Okay, allow me to clear one thing up about the Saturn Sigil, as you weren't the only one that asked. The sigil was used as somewhat of a plot device. It doesn't have a purpose in my story. You could say it was some sort of collector's set of items, or such. The reason it was there was to jog Ben's memory about the legendary weapons, which he may have not thought about had he not seen the sigil.

Auron's Fan: Right now, Ben's weapons are the pair of suwayyah, a staff, his katana from the start, and a wakizashi which is rarely used, due to his simple lack of proficiency with dual-wielding swords. As for the death question, it's explained in game that strong emotion could bind you to the world. Seymour has extreme hatred and persistence to become the next Sin and destroy Spira. That should be able to do it, don'tcha think?

FFfanboyX: I know how that goes. (grin) Anyhow, read my reply to EkaSwede to answer your question about the sigil.

SS5Matt: Understandable. Hope you enjoy the last chapters!

ShadowStar05: Yep, you've just seen one of the worst villain cliches ever. (shrug)

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yep, he's kicked the bucket again! Okay, as for Ben's legendary weapon, imagine this. A small, cylindrical object that slides over the hand and wrist, with a metal bar for you to grab. Extending from the top, over the back of the hand and out about a foot, is a blade. To either side of the central blade, at about a 45 degree angle to it, are two more blades. That's a scissors suwayyah. A regular suwayyah, or wrist blade, only has the central blade.

desert-tiger: Yep, you just answered your own question.

Now, finally, onward through the caves of Gagazet!

* * *

Chapter 35—No Turning Back Now

The inside of the cave is, well, much what I figured a cave would be like. Dim, damp, gloomy, and treacherous. Crags of rock and stalactites are everywhere, stalagmites around in places too.

Coming to a small, open area, we find our passage to the north blocked by a large hole. Walking to the edge, I look down, hoping to see the bottom. There really doesn't seem to be one.

"So...what now?" Tidus asks, examining the pit. Looking around, I scan the area, before seeing a small area of water to the west.

"There. Water. We can swim there, maybe find something to cross this chasm with." I tell him, walking over as Rikku and Wakka join me, Tidus lagging behind the three of us. Taking a moment to examine the water, we all look at each other, before Wakka speaks.

"Looks like we got a job to do, ya?" he says, and Tidus, Rikku, and I nod, stepping forward.

"If anything should happen in the water, we're relying on you four. If it gets dangerous, pull out quick." Lulu says, giving a small nod to us.

"Right!" Wakka says, turning towards the water.

"Be careful." Yuna tells us, as we walk up to the edge of the area.

"Always are." I say, smirking, before diving into the water head first and beginning to swim. After a moment of swimming, we come across one of the oddest things I've seen since being here in Spira. And that's saying a lot, mind you. It appears to be a small ball, just floating in the water, with a shield of some sort of light surrounding it. The shield is rotating around the ball, and it seems to have two openings.

"Eh...what do we do with this?" Tidus asks us, looking at the strange device.

"Let's see...oh yeah." I say, snapping my fingers. "Wakka, hit that thing with your blitzball." I tell him, and he shrugs, before pulling out World Champion and aiming carefully. Hurling the blitzball at the core of light, Wakka watches on as the blitzball flies through the crack in the rotating shield, and nails the core perfectly.

"Got it!" I exclaim. "Good job." Wakka just nods, reclaiming his blitzball, as I turn back towards the way we came. "Let's get out of here. We should be able to cross the chasm now." I say, swimming back towards the surface.

"Look at this!" Yuna says as we step back onto dry land, pointing to the chasm. A set of stairs now go over the hole, leading us north once again.

"It was a puzzle. Must've been meant to test us." I say. _'Yunalesca's doing, no doubt.'

* * *

_

Moving forward again, we continue to walk. The cave seems to be getting even steeper now, and I deduce that we must be getting very near the summit, and consequently, Zanarkand. Suddenly, we hear a mighty roar from in front of us, and all of us gasp as a large Behemoth fiend appears in front of us, standing tall amidst the rocks.

"Oh man..." I hear Wakka mutter, stepping back some, as Auron moves up in front.

"Behemoth." he states, and everyone pulls out their weapons, prepared for a tough fight. The Behemoth roars, and charges, horns pointing at Lulu as it intends to skewer her before she can react.

"Ha!" Wakka yells, throwing his blitzball at the Behemoth's face. The blitzball hits with a sickening crack, stopping it in its tracks, and blood runs down the face of the Behemoth from the blades along the sides. Auron runs in, slashing downwards along the creature's chest, which causes another long cut. The creature still stands tall, though, and charges us. Swatting Auron aside, it brings a claw down at Wakka, only to be blocked by Kimahri's spear. Thrusting outward, Kimahri jabs the thing in the arm, before I bring my katana down along its wrist.

"Wait a second...guys! I have a plan! Anyone here have anything that will turn a fiend into a zombie?" I ask, and everyone looks at me, confused. Auron nods, and charges the creature again, striking down with his blade. The Behemoth growls, before its skin and fur suddenly changes to a gray pallor. Smiling, I turn to Yuna.

"Yuna. Life or Full-Life it, whichever you have." I instruct, and her eyes go wide, as she now realizes my plan.

"Full-Life!" she cries, white feathers floating down from above the Behemoth and passing through it. The Behemoth gives an anguished cry, before it falls and dissipates into pyreflies.

"How did you...?" Tidus starts, and I hold up a hand.

"Simple. Yuna knows powerful white magic. White magic hurts the undead severely. I figured, if we could turn it into an undead, we could dispose of it a lot easier than trying to kill it by normal means."

"A bold plan." Auron says, turning to me.

"Yeah, it worked, though." I reply, pulling out my Sphere Grid and inserting another sphere into it as Auron turns to us.

"They'll be upon us soon. She has sent fiends to test our summoner's strength."

"Who is 'she'?" Yuna asks, turning to the monk.

"Yunalesca." he replies simply.

"Lady Yunalesca?" she echoes, as if she had heard him wrong.

"In Zanarkand, she awaits the arrival of the strongest."

"She..is still alive?" Yuna asks, tentatively.

"As much as Mika and Seymour." Auron replies, to which Yuna nods.

"I see."

"Lost your nerve?" Auron queries.

"No." Yuna says defiantly. "Nothing frightens me now."

"Braska would be proud." Auron states, turning towards the path.

"Then...I must not let him down." Yuna says softly, turning towards the path as well and continuing to walk, Auron and Tidus by her side with the rest of us behind them.

* * *

After a few more minutes of walking through the damp cave, we finally see the dim light of a sunset, coming through what appears to be the exit to the cave. Stepping out into the light, we all stop, as Auron looks around. Setting his eyes on something, he stares ahead blankly, before stating two simple words.

"It comes!"

Looking towards the direction Auron is facing, we suddenly see a gigantic beast lumbering towards us. A massive, four-legged dragon type beast, the creature also has two sets of wings. One main pair, with a second wing hanging off the front of the main two. It also has large, tusk-like protrusions on either side of its face, reminding me of a beetle. This is the Sanctuary Keeper.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme March For Glory)_

"Let's give it all we've got!" Tidus yells, using his Cheer ability on the whole team, as Auron runs in along with Kimahri. Stabbing downwards, Kimahri strikes the creature in its skull, while Auron slashes downward with his Power Break ability. Charging in, I grab my suwayyah, and slash twice at the creature's face, before it roars and knocks the three of us away. Turning my backwards momentum into a roll, I come to a relatively easy stop, right as Lulu casts a spell over my head.

"Demi!" she yells, the gravity based spell sucking in the Keeper, and then pretty much spitting it back out, weakened a great deal in short time.

"Take this!" Wakka yells, spinning his blitzball on his finger as a frosty covering encircles it, before he slams the ball towards the Keeper with his foot. The ball impacts it in the chest, and it howls in pain, before the wings on its back stand straight up. Before any of us can react, energy beams blast out of the wings from numerous holes and strike all around us, throwing us to the ground.

Standing back up, we take a moment to heal Lulu and Yuna, who were the most hurt by the attack, before we retake our stances. Tidus runs in, spinning and flipping before slamming the Caladbolg down on the Sanctuary Keeper. The creature growls, before slapping Tidus away with a claw. With deceptive speed for its bulky frame, it charges Auron and slashes downward, sending the monk to the ground again.

"That's it. Time to summon." I say, putting my suwayyah away while pulling out my staff and dropping into a summoning stance. Spinning the staff, I turn, a portal opening behind me. Raising my staff, a bolt of lightning flies into the portal, and I spin to pull the aeon Ixion out of it.

"Aerospark!" I cry, Ixion giving a short cry before slashing his horn downward, a crescent shaped wave of electric energy lancing out into the Sanctuary Keeper. Raising its head slowly, the creature growls, before a huge beam of orange-red energy slices through the air and into Ixion, who gives a pained cry before dissipating into pyreflies.

"Uh oh..." I mutter, stepping back. "He can wipe our aeons out just like that...I didn't want to have to do this yet, but I guess I have to." Stepping forwards again, I raise a hand to the fiend, as orange energy begins to gather around it. Smiling evilly, I call out my newly acquired spell.

"Flare!"

The beam of orange energy blasts out at the fiend, slamming into its face with a large explosion as I drop to a knee. The reason I didn't want to use the spell is because it drains me of way too much of my magical energy. The good thing is that it gave my friends a chance to attack.

"Holy!"

"Bio!"

"Dark Buster!"

Yuna's spell connects with the face of the Keeper as well, Lulu's poison spell also making the creature roar in pain as the toxin spreads through its body. Wakka's blitzball hits the fiend in the chest, cutting into it and also blinding the Sanctuary Keeper.

Seeing a chance to attack, Auron brings his sword back, before running at the Sanctuary Keeper. Swinging the sword powerfully, the blade bites into the neck of the fiend, and it howls in pain, before suddenly straightening, the waves of a Curaga spell washing over it and mending some of its wounds.

"Yuna, use Reflect on it!" I yell, slowly getting back to my feet from the use of the Flare. Yuna complies, and the magical barrier springs to life around the creature, just as it uses a second Curaga, the energy bouncing off and hitting Tidus instead.

"Coming through!" Rikku suddenly yells, as a large object sails through the air at the fiend, before a chain of Waterga spells go off right in the Keeper's face. The fiend gives a final, defiant roar, before falling to the ground, dissipating into pyreflies a moment afterwards.

_(End SO3 theme March Of Glory)_

"Well, they're definitely getting more powerful..." I mutter to myself, gulping down a rare Elixir as Rikku walks over to me. Auron turns to continue walking down the path, but is stopped by a shout from Rikku.

"Hey! Can't we rest a little?" she yells to the monk, Auron turning to face her.

"No need. We reach the summit soon." he replies, and Rikku looks down a little.

"I know, that's why I want to stop for a bit." she says, turning around and crouching down. "Soon means that...there's not much time left."

"It's okay, Rikku." I say, kneeling and putting an arm around her. "We'll think of a way to stop this from happening, I know it. You just can't lose hope."

"Rikku..." Yuna says, walking up to her cousin, who stands up to look at her.

"Fine. I'll think on the way." she says to Yuna, who nods, and begins to walk down the trail with Auron and the rest of the group. As I start to walk, I notice Tidus hasn't moved, and everyone turns, noticing the same.

"Hey, come on, let's go." Wakka says, walking back towards the boy.

"We are almost there, aren't we?" he asks, looking out over the horizon.

"We've come a long way." Wakka tells him, and Auron smirks, chuckling a little.

"What's so funny?" Tidus asks, looking at the warrior.

"You remind me of myself. Before, the closer I came to Zanarkand, the more I wondered...when we arrive, Braska will call the Final Aeon...he will fight Sin, then die. I thought my mind was made up. But when I stood here, my resolve wavered." he explains, causing Wakka to shrug.

"Huh, never would've figured. Legendary guardians choke sometimes, too, ya?" he says, Auron turning to the former captain.

"Legendary guardian? I was just a boy. A boy about your age, actually. I wanted to change the world, too. But I changed nothing. That is my story." he tells Wakka, walking away towards the rest of the group. Gazing out into the sunset, which has nearly faded now, I can't help but feel exactly as Auron says.

'_I can't waver. Not now. I've come to far to just...to just give up, turn around, and leave. I have to see this through, to the end. Even though I'm not quite sure how things will go, I can't just stand here in fear of the unknown. I have to go through with it, unafraid of the changes that may come.' _I think, sighing, before following the others along the path that will take us to the ancient city of Zanarkand.

* * *

Finally, in the next chapter, the party arrives at Zanarkand, a city dead for a thousand years! What will they find there? Keep reading to find out, and as always, please review! 


	36. Chapter 36: City Of Dreams

(humming the FFX To Zanarkand theme) The ruined city...a placedestroyed for a thousand years. What will happen? First, to the replies!

ShadowStar05: Not to sound like a smart-aleck or anything, but where do you think Kingdom Hearts got them from? (smirk)

desert-tiger: (chuckles at the Zanarkand thing) Wait no longer.

XxCougarxX: Yep. Smashy smashy indeed.

Iron Reaver: I'm not even gonna dignify this with a response, as we already went over this on MSN. (chuckles)

fang: If you're reading this, welcome to Destiny's Call, fang! Glad to see another new face! I do intend to do an X-2 story, only a few more chapters left in this one.

SS5Matt: I'm glad you feel this way, and I hope the soon-to-be sequel, if you read, lives up to your expectations.

Auron's Fan: (chuckles) Yep, computers can be frustrating. Anyhow. Seymour said he wanted to save Spira, by destroying it. Apparently, he feels that feeling nothing at all will be the best way to relieve the pain of the people of Spira. As for the Rikku/Ben things? Little tidbits here and there, but nothing really major until the end, probably.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Planted by you, no doubt. (eyes narrow)

Now, without further ado, the entrance to Zanarkand!

* * *

Chapter 36—City Of Dreams

_(Play FFX theme To Zanarkand)_

Zanarkand. A city destroyed a thousand years ago. The city that led a war with Bevelle. The city that is partially responsible for the birth of Sin, nearly a millenia ago. The end of Yuna's journey.

Tidus and Yuna are staring down at Zanarkand from our perch on the summit. Only a short trail, leading downwards, separates us from the ancient machina city. Walking over to Rikku, I notice her looking at Yuna.

"Still thinking?" I ask her, and she looks at me, nodding slowly.

"There has to be a way." she says simply, looking from me to Yuna. "Yuna, I say no! If we go down there, then you'll..." she trails off, as the summoner turns to her.

"Rikku. You're a true friend, and I thank you, but...I must go...down, to Zanarkand." she replies, walking over to her cousin.

"And what about you, Ben?" she asks, turning to me. "You're a summoner too! What will happen to you when we get down to Zanarkand?" she says, looking at me with sorrow-filled eyes.

"Rikku...I don't really know. But whatever happens, I'll face it. I won't be scared." I tell her, looking between her and Yuna.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't go. But shouldn't we think about it some more? There's gotta be some kind of way we can save you, Yuna!" she exclaims. "And you too, Ben!"

"All my life, I knew this moment would come." Yuna says, looking at her cousin.

"Yunie..."

"Thank you, Rikku." Yuna says, dropping a small sphere beside her, which goes unnoticed to everyone except myself and Tidus. "Thank you for everything." she replies, walking over and embracing Rikku.

"Don't say that, Yunie! It's not over yet!"

"Tell Cid thank you."

"No...you can tell him yourself." Rikku says, eyes shimmering.

"Please..." Yuna begins, but Rikku cuts her off.

"Yunie, don't say that because...we're gonna see each other again, okay?"

Yuna stays silent for a moment, before nodding slowly and walking towards everyone else. "Kimahri, let's go." she says, the Ronso nodding and beginning to follow her down the trail to Zanarkand. Everyone else follows, except Tidus, who walks over to me and picks up the sphere lying on the ground.

"Do we watch it?" I ask, and he looks at me for a moment, before nodding. Turning the sphere on, Tidus and I begin to watch, the screen remaining black for a moment as Yuna's voice is heard.

_(End FFX theme To Zanarkand)

* * *

_

_(Play FFX theme Yuna's Theme)_

"Sir Auron. Kimahri told me...when my father wanted me taken from Bevelle to Besaid..." she begins, the sphere fading in on Rin's Travel Agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad. Lulu is standing next to the door, and apparently Yuna is filming. "It was you who told Kimahri, right? I had always wanted to meet you someday." she continues, as Wakka walks out the shop and stands next to Lulu, arms crossed. "I am truly glad that I had that chance. Having you as a guardian was so great an honor I don't know how to thank you. Perhaps if I defeat Sin, that will be my thanks to you. That's what I'll do. Yes. I will challenge Sin, I will defeat Sin. If you are all there watching this, then I guess Sin is already gone. And so am I, I suppose." she says, Lulu walking back into the Travel Agency and shutting the door behind her. "Anyway, I just wanted to say: Sir Auron, I thank you." she finishes, as Wakka runs to the side of the agency to examine a chocobo.

"Kimahri..." she begins, giggling. "Do you remember the first day we met? I was only seven. My father had defeated Sin, and all Bevelle was celebrating. Everyone was saying what a hero my father was. I was so happy. But when night came, it occurred to me. My father had defeated Sin and now he was dead. Now, I was all alone. I couldn't sleep, so I wandered into the town, away from the celebrating crowds. I stood on the bridge in Bevelle where my father and I had parted. Standing there, alone, I could see the fields where he had fought Sin." she says, as Kimahri walks on screen with his back turned to the sphere, slowly walking across until he's off screen again.

"Then, you appeared, Kimahri. You said you were looking for the daughter of Braska, remember? At first, I was so scared. Until I realized what a kind and gentle person you are." she says, giggling again. "You weren't used to talking to children. When I told you that I was Braska's daughter...you said you would take me as far from Bevelle as you could. That it was the wish of a man facing death. I think...I cried then. Because that...that was when I knew my father was dead...and I would never see him again. You just held me, without saying a word. I cried after we got to Besaid, too. When you tried to go after leaving me in the care of the temple...I held on to you, crying, 'Don't go, don't go!' And you listened, Kimahri. You stayed. Thank you, Kimahri. Thank you so much. And I've always liked your broken horn."

The scene now changes, showing the agency from a different angle. Yuna's still holding the sphere like a video camera, as she starts to speak again.

"Wakka, Lulu. I'll never forget my days spent with you, growing up in Besaid. We always played together, us and Chappu. That's why I was always so happy, I think. And when you refused to let me become a summoner and I did it anyway...I'm sorry. I've always wanted to apologize. You know, when you tried to stop me then—really, I was happy. I could tell you really cared about me. You were like my big brother and sister. No...I think you really were my big brother and sister. What else...I love watching you play blitzball, Wakka. I even love it when you scold me, Lulu! Really!" she says, a childish edge to the last sentence.

The scene fades out again, and fades back in once again on the agency. Yuna's still recording like a camera, and this time the scene is the sunset that evening. I can see myself walk out the door of the agency and lean against the wall, watching her intently.

"Ben. In the time that I knew you, you seemed more serious than even Lulu. Yet, you were also more childish than any of us." she says, giggling after she finishes. "Kilika comes to mind, doesn't it? They said in Besaid you came from the sea, with Tidus. I wasn't sure what to think. When you introduced yourself at the party, I could tell there was something different about you. I just didn't know what. To tell the truth, I still don't. And now...I don't think I ever will. Thank you for everything, Ben." she finishes, causing me to smile.

"I guess that leaves...the newest guardian. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes! You are...I am...well, um...I'm glad...I'm glad that we met. We haven't even known each other long, but...it's funny." she says, Tidus walking out to look at her. "So this is what it feels like. It's a much more wonderful feeling than anything I had ever imagined. Wonderful...but it hurts, sometimes. I wonder. I...I just want to say, thank you for everything. Maybe...maybe that's why it hurts. When I...when I think about us never being together again at all...I'm afraid." she says, as Tidus starts to approach her. "No, I shouldn't say that. I'll do that part over. Um..." she starts, but gets cut off by Tidus' voice.

"Whatcha up to?" he asks, and Yuna turns, fumbling with the sphere as the screen goes black.

_(End FFX theme Yuna's Theme)_

"Let's go." I say, turning to Tidus. "We still have to find a way to save Yuna. This is not just her story. It's ours too, is it not?" I ask, smiling. Tidus nods.

"Yeah. This is our story too." he replies.

"Good. Then let's make it go how _we _want." I say, walking down the path leading to Zanarkand, Tidus right behind me.

* * *

"Hey! There was more, right!" Tidus says, standing up. A campfire has been made, and we're all sitting down around it now, telling stories of the pilgrimage. Memories that will never fade.

"I mean like that time...uh...anyone?" he says, fumbling for words. Yuna looks over at him.

"I think..." she starts.

"Yes?"

"I think that we should stop...maybe. For now." she says, standing up. Reluctantly he nods, and everyone goes quiet. Contemplating, I suppose. Looking around, I find a secluded area and walk over to it, pulling out my Grid as I do so. Looking on it, I can see it's almost complete. One more spell. Digging in my pockets, I pull out several spheres, and insert them into the grid, only to find out I'm missing one.

"Darn it...guess I'll just have to wait." I say, pocketing the Grid again and looking up at the sky. Zanarkand almost looks like the Farplane. Pyreflies are everywhere, floating around in the night sky like fireflies. It's almost peaceful. If it wasn't a ruined city from a millenia ago, that is.

"What'cha thinking about?" Rikku says, walking up behind me and putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Can I make a list?" I retort playfully, causing Rikku to giggle. "Seriously though...I'm thinking about what's to come. Yuna's going to get the Final Aeon. What am I supposed to do? I'm a summoner too, you know. Am I..." I trail off, looking into the distance.

"Don't even think that! We're gonna save Yunie, you know! And nothing's going to happen to you, either!" she says, defiantly.

"I can only hope so." I say, pulling out the blank sphere I bought back in Luca.

"What are you gonna do with that?" she asks, and I smile.

"Something to remember this by." I say simply, turning the sphere on, holding it in front of myself.

"To anyone who may be watching...my name is Benji. This is my story." I begin, staring at the sphere.

"I was pulled into this world, Spira, by a being known as the fayth. He claimed I could help with a summoner's pilgrimage. I accepted, and here I am. What's a summoner? Well...a summoner travels this world, gathering mighty creatures called aeons in the hope to make it here where I stand. Zanarkand. Once they do, they can acquire the Final Aeon in order to defeat Sin. Sin is a massive beast, like an enormous whale, that has plagued this world for a thousand years. It dies every 10 years, and a period called the Calm lasts for 10 years following Sin's death. Then, it comes back, and the cycle begins anew. I am a summoner as well. How, I don't know. But anyway...I'm rambling." I say, turning the sphere to face the group.

"These...these are my friends. The guy in the yellow shirt with blond hair is Tidus. He's a blitzballer from Zanarkand, a city destroyed a thousand years ago. He's brash, but won't back down from his duties as unofficial leader of the team."

"The girl in the white shirt and blue skirt, carrying a staff, is Yuna. She's a summoner, the daughter of another famous summoner, High Summoner Braska. She traveled here all the way from Besaid, to defeat Sin like her father did. She looks shy and naive, but her heart is pure, and once she makes up her mind, there's no stopping her."

"The guy with the orange hair is Wakka. He's a blitzballer too, but he's from Besaid Island, not Zanarkand. He was the leader of a blitzball team, but after winning the championship this year, he gave it up for now to be a full-time guardian. He loves someone in our little group, but I think he's too shy to admit it."

"The tiger creature is Kimahri. He's a Ronso, from Mount Gagazet. He's taken care of Yuna since she was 7, bringing her from Bevelle to Besaid. He looks fearsome, but underneath the hard exterior is a noble creature who cares for the well-being of others."

"The woman in the dress seemingly made of belts is Lulu. She's also from Besaid, and she and Wakka took care of Yuna after Kimahri brought her to Besaid. When Yuna became a summoner, Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri were her first guardians. They love her like family, and treat her like a little sister to them."

"The man in the red overcoat is Auron. He's a warrior monk who came to Zanarkand, a thousand years in the past, to bring Tidus and myself to Spira. He doesn't talk much, either. Still, he's pretty much the other unofficial leader of the team, balancing out Tidus' brashness with his calm demeanor." I say, turning the sphere to face Rikku.

"This is my girlfriend, Rikku. She's an Al Bhed, another race of people here on Spira. They're good with machina, or machines, and use them despite everyone hating them for it. She's quite possibly the most exuberant person I think I've ever known, keeping us all on her toes with her bubbly attitude. No matter what happens, she's always the person that cheers us up." I say, turning the sphere back to me.

"We're at Zanarkand now. The Hall of the Final Summoning isn't far. We're going to get the Final Aeon, and we're going to beat Sin. If...if this sphere is left unfinished, you'll know what happened. We can do it...I know we can..." I trail off, turning the sphere off and putting it back in my pocket, Rikku just watching quietly.

"Let's go." I hear Yuna say, and I walk down from where I was standing to meet back up with everyone, Rikku right behind me. Taking a last look behind me, I begin to follow Yuna and the rest of the group through the twisted, destroyed streets of the machina city.

* * *

The city is exactly what I figured it would look like. Rubble everywhere, destroyed buildings, and pyreflies. Lots and lots of pyreflies.

"Looks like the Farplane." Wakka states, looking around at the floating creatures.

"Close enough." Auron replies, as we continue to walk down the street.

It doesn't take long for us to reach what appears to be the remains of the blitzball stadium that I remember. As we approach, we see an old man standing out in front.

"Journeyer of the long road, name yourself." he says, walking up to us. Yuna steps forward to stare the man in the eyes.

"I am the summoner Yuna. I have come from the island of Besaid." she says, as the man approaches Yuna.

"Your eyes, my dear. Show me the long road you have traveled." he tells her, and she looks straight at him. He nods after a moment, speaking again. "Very good. You have journeyed well. Lady Yunalesca will surely welcome your arrival. Go to her now, and bring your guardians with you. Go."

Nodding, Yuna leads us all into the dome silently. As I walk, I take a chance to look around at the majestic area. Even destroyed, the place still holds a sense of awe about it. As we walk down the hallway, though, a pair of ghosts suddenly appear near us.

"If it might benefit the future of Spira, I will gladly give my life." the first ghost says, a young woman. Turning to the second, also a woman, she continues. "It is the highest honor for which a guardian might ask. Use my life, Lady Yocun, and rid Spira of Sin." she says, as the two simply vanish into thin air.

"What...what was that?" Rikku says, nervously stepping back to cling to my arm.

"Our predecessors." Auron replies, stepping forwards.

"She said Lady Yocun, didn't she?" Lulu asks to no one in particular, before looking at everyone. "Wait! She guarded High Summoner Yocun?"

"This dome is filled with pyreflies." Auron replies, turning to Lulu. "It's like one gigantic sphere. People's thoughts remain here. Forever." he tells her, before starting to walk down the hall once again.

* * *

As we come to another part of the hall, we're suddenly confronted by the image of a strikingly familiar boy, standing in front of a woman. A man is standing behind the two of them, and the boy appears to be on the verge of tears.

"No, Mother, no! I don't want you to become a fayth!" the boy cries, as his mother stares at him silently.

"There is no other way. Use me and defeat Sin. Only then will the people accept you." she says, the boy looking up at her.

"I don't care about them! I need you, Mother! No one else!" he pleads, the woman looking down.

"I don't...have much time left." she says, as the three of them vanish into the air.

"Hey, wasn't that..." Wakka starts, Rikku cutting in a moment later.

"Seymour?"

"Yeah, that was our favorite, or not-so-favorite, Maester turned villain extraordinare himself." I say, somewhat bitterly. Though, I don't really think anyone can blame me.

"His mother...was turned into a fayth?" Yuna asks, and I nod slowly.

"Yeah. She was." I say, as everyone slowly walks forward again.

Continuing on through the dome, we're about to enter another door when images of Braska, Auron as a young boy, and Jecht come running past us, causing Tidus to let out a short cry at the sight of his father's image.

"Hey, Braska. You don't have to do this." Jecht tells Braska, who turns to face both him and Auron.

"Thank you for your concern." he replies, Jecht nodding.

"Fine. I said my piece." he says, Auron stepping up to face the summoner.

"Well, I haven't!" he exclaims, looking at Braska. "Lord Braska, let us go back! I don't want to see you...die!"

"You knew this was to happen, my friend." Braska says evenly.

"Yes, but I...I cannot accept it." Auron replies, causing Braska to have a short laugh.

"Auron, I am honored that you care for me so. But I have come to kill grief itself. I will defeat Sin, and lift the veil of sorrow covering Spira. Please understand, Auron." Braska tells him, as the images vanish.

"Let's keep moving. We're almost there." I say, causing Yuna to give me a glance, before starting to walk again.

* * *

After a few more minutes of walking, we come across a set of stairs. Walking up the stairs, we find a door apparently leading to the Cloister of Trials, as well as the ghostly images of Jecht, Auron, and Braska once again.

"Are the Trials ahead?" Jecht asks, Braska turning to face him.

"Probably." he replies.

"Here too, huh? Gimme a break." Jecht says. "I was expecting, you know, parades and...fireworks!"

"You can ask for them after I defeat Sin." Braska says, the images vanishing once again.

"Looks like this is it." I say, Yuna turning to us.

"Everyone ready?" she asks, and we all nod for what seems to be the final time, as the door to the Trials opens.

* * *

And now, we begin the ending! It's gonna be a fun one! As always, please review!


	37. Chapter 37: Decisions Of The Heart

(blinks for a moment) 250 reviews...woohoo! (starts running around)  
Yuna: (looks at me strangely) Calm yourself, please.  
(stops) Eh? Oh...sorry, Yuna. Anyhow. Onwards to the replies!

Iron Reaver: Uh, if I remember right, all your complaints about my comma use were in the sentence itself. Having too many, that is. Nothing of the sort was said to my recollection, but I could be wrong. (shrug)

ShadowStar05: The chaos...the glorious chaos...

ninfan: Not very well, that's for sure.

XxCougarxX: Heh, I love cliffhangers. And plot twists. But I digress. Yeah, I had planned that part out since the Luca scene. Just had to wait for it.

desert-tiger: I can taste it, and you're slightly off. Tastes like ham. Yeah, the sequel will be fun to write. You'll see a completely different side of Ben in it, too. Just wait.

SS5Matt: Okay, this is a tough one. I've been writing Destiny's Call since December of last year. Most of what I had was done completely as I went along. Certain parts like Ben losing it against the Iron Giants, Ben becoming a summoner, the Farplane scene, and a few others, were done in advance. Most notably, the scene with Ben singing at Macalania Woods. But, the story as a whole could be said as being written as I went along.

Auron's Fan: Yeah, some of the cool stuff happens in X-2, but the really interesting things that happen...happen after that. (grin) Actually...Ben's died twice. But been revived both times. So...(shrug) Hey, what can ya do? But on the topic of Seymour/Wakka...you got me. They both seem to have a bubble of something around their heads, but as to what it is, or how it works, your guess is as good as mine. I'd think spiky hair would be hard to draw, but that's just me.

Alright, now that that's settled, onwards to the Cloister of Trials of Zanarkand!

* * *

Chapter 37—Decisions Of The Heart

The Zanarkand Cloister of Trials is...odd. It almost reminds me of a memory game of sorts, but this is a little different. A screen at the back of the room is showing a pattern. The floor is decorated with tiles that we must step on to match the pattern. And right now? We're having trouble with it. For the most part, we'll either step on an incorrect switch and reset the puzzle, or misstep and fall onto a wrong one.

"Finally!" I exclaim, seeing the door to the next part open. Walking through, I hear Tidus groan as another set of tiles, bigger this time, is revealed on the floor of the next room.

"Ugh...this is the same thing guys. Just bigger," I say, walking over to the screen to see the pattern.

It takes roughly 20 minutes to get it right, but finally we get the final pattern correct, and pinkish light shoots from the circular chasm in the center of the room. Walking over to it, we suddenly hear a roar, and the room seems to shift out of existence, being replaced by a bluish-purple void. There are platforms arranged in a circle, six in all, and we land on them as something appears in the center.

"Oh man...Spectral Keeper...I don't like this," I say, looking at the strange creature in front of us. The Spectral Keeper is like a thin, orange, mantis-like creature towering over us. Two arms extend from its thin middle, ending in sharp, scythe like hands. It also has a sharp tail, which everyone notices as we prepare for battle.

_(Play FFX theme Path of Repentance)_

"Waterga!" Lulu cries as she takes the first attack, a large burst of water magic slamming into the fiend.

"Rah!" Tidus yells, running up and slashing the Spectral Keeper, who retaliates with a claw strike. The strike is slower than normal, though, Tidus having apparently used Delay Buster on it. Easily dodging the strike, Tidus moves back to Yuna's side as Kimahri uses Lancet on the fiend. The Spectral Keeper turns, and strikes Kimahri with his tail. Everything seems fine for a moment, until Kimahri's skin takes on a more reddish shade to it, and he growls. Running past Tidus, he brings his poleaxe down towards the Spectral Keeper, who roars in pain at the more powerful strike.

"Hey, Kimahri! What gives?" he shouts, and my eyes go wide.

"Tidus, he got Berserked!" I yell, as Kimahri slashes downwards again.

"Esuna!" Yuna cries, the magic seeping into Kimahri and restoring him to normal.

"Enough! Armor Break!" Auron yells, running up and slashing at the Keeper. As he moves back, the platform he's standing on starts to glow. Auron looks around for a moment, before leaping off the platform, just before it explodes.

"You okay?" Wakka yells, throwing his blitzball at the fiend. Auron gives a short nod, now standing next to me and Rikku on a platform.

"Take this!" Rikku yells, throwing a grenade at the Spectral Keeper, which explodes. As the fiend grunts in pain, Rikku runs up and slashes down with Godhand, cutting across the fiend's skin.

"Blizzaga!" I cry, the ice blast smashing into the fiend as well. Lulu also adds in a Firaga spell, which causes the Spectral Keeper to roar in pain, and fire a powerful Thundaga spell at both of us. Wincing sharply, I stagger back from the hit, careful not to fall off the platform. Lulu picks herself up off the ground after a moment, and Yuna points her staff at Lulu.

"Curaga!" she cries, a large wave of light and sparkles flashing around Lulu, healing her up instantly.

The Spectral Keeper seems to growl, before slashing its pointed tail at Yuna, who ducks as it flies overhead. Tidus runs up and slashes again, Kimahri joining him in a double attack. Both strikes hit, and the Keeper swipes them away, before slashing at Rikku. Rikku staggers back from the blow, and I narrow my eyes at the fiend, charging in with both my katana and wakizashi now drawn.

"Renzokuken!" I cry, jumping and striking at the Keeper several times, before I jump back, dropping my sword to my side and sheathing my wakizashi.

"Rough Divide!" Running in again, I leap upwards and bring the sword blade up as well, an aura of energy slicing into the creature and causing a roar of pain.

"Dark Buster!"

"Holy!"

"Thundaga!"

Wakka, Yuna, and Lulu all attack as I move away from the creature, World Champion bouncing off the creature's face. The Holy spell slams into the Spectral Keeper with a blinding flash of light, and the Thundaga spell connects with the fiend's chest as well. Auron brings an arm forward now, ready to end it.

"Farewell," he says simply, jumping into the air and bringing his sword down into the platform he's on, his Dragon Fang Overdrive causing an explosion to overtake the Spectral Keeper. Screeching, the fiend dissipates into pyreflies, as the strange realm fades away to be replaced with the familiarity of the Cloister of Trials.

_(End FFX theme Path of Repentance)_

"Yuna...we're here," Auron says, stepping over to the chasm, which now has a platform floating in it.

"The Hall of the Final Summoning," she replies, staring at the platform.

"Go," Auron says, with a short nod to the summoner.

"Yes," she says, bowing to Auron before stepping on the platform, causing it to descend into the pit. After a moment, we suddenly hear the elevator start to come back up, and Yuna stands on it as it ascends.

"Sir Auron! Everyone!" she says, causing us to walk over and get on the elevator, something in her voice telling us to come along. As the elevator descends again, we find ourselves in a small room, with a statue directly behind us when we stop.

"This isn't a fayth," Yuna says, looking at the statue. "It's just an empty statue."

Suddenly, the wall in front of the statue just seems to dematerialize into a barrier of blue energy, as the same man who approached us at the entrance to Zanarkand steps through.

"That statue lost its power as a fayth long ago," the man says, as we turn to face him. "It is Lord Zaon, the first fayth of the Final Summoning. What you see before you is all that remains of him. Lord Zaon is...his soul is gone."

"Gone?" Wakka exclaims, eyes widening.

"You mean, there is no Final Aeon?" Rikku asks, a tinge of hopefulness in her voice, it seems.

"But fear not. Lady Yunalesca will show you the path. The Final Aeon will be yours," the man continues, turning to face the doorway of sorts. "The summoner and the Final Aeon will join powers. Go to her now. Inside, the lady awaits," he finishes, doing the prayer gesture, and simply vanishing into thin air. Yuna looks for a moment, before starting to walk towards the blue wall.

"Yuna, wait!" Tidus yells, causing her to stop and turn, as Tidus turns to Auron. "Auron, you knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" he asks.

"Yes," Auron replies, nodding.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku exclaims, now angry. Walking over to her, I put a hand on her shoulder as Auron replies.

"If I had told you the truth, would it really have stopped you from coming?" he asks her, to which she lowers her head. Kimahri walks over to Yuna now, standing in front of her.

"Yuna."

"I'm not going back," she says, looking up at the Ronso.

"Kimahri knows. Kimahri goes first," he says, stepping up to the blue energy door. "Yuna is safe. Kimahri protect." Stepping through, Kimahri vanishes, and Yuna smiles, walking through after him. Auron steps through a moment later, followed by the rest of us.

* * *

The room beyond the door is a large room, filled with murals, paintings, and statues of former High Summoners. At the top of a set of stairs near the back of the room, a cloud of pyreflies has gathered. Rikku points to them, drawing everyone's attention.

"Someone's coming!" she shouts, and the pyreflies suddenly coalesce into a solid form, as a woman steps out. The woman is clad in what appears to be nothing but a black bikini, with very long, flowing silver hair. What seems to be wings of some kind extend from her back, as she spreads her arms wide in welcome.

"Lady Yunalesca," Yuna says, staring up at the unsent summoner.

"Welcome to Zanarkand," Yunalesca says, looking down at all of us. "I congratulate you, summoner. You have completed your pilgrimage. I will now bestow you with that which you seek. The Final Summoning...will be yours. Now, choose," she says, walking down the staircase. "You must choose the one whom I will change...to become the fayth of the Final Summoning." Everyone gasps at this except myself and Auron, as Yunalesca continues.

"There must be a bond, between chosen and summoner, for that is what the Final Summoning embodies: the bond between husband and wife, mother and child, or between friends. If that bond is strong enough, its light will conquer Sin. A thousand years ago, I chose my husband Zaon as my fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the Final Aeon. There is nothing to fear. You will soon be freed from worry and pain. For once you call forth the Final Aeon, your life will end. Death is the ultimate and final liberation. Your father, Braska, chose this path." As Yunalesca finishes, she turns towards the staircase and walks back up, stepping out into the room beyond. Suddenly, the images of Braska, Jecht, and Auron return.

"It is not too late! Let us turn back!" Auron exclaims, looking at Braska.

"If I turn back, who will defeat Sin?" Braska asks, looking at his two guardians. "Would you have some other summoner and his guardians go through this?"

"But...my lord, there must be another way!" Auron insists, as Jecht turns to him.

"This is the only way we got now!" he says, before turning to where we can only assume Yunalesca was standing. "Fine. Make me the fayth. I been doing some thinking. My dream is back in the other Zanarkand. I wanted to make that runt into a star blitz player. Show him the view from the top, you know? But now I know there's no way home for me. I'm never gonna see him again. My dream's never gonna come true. So make me the fayth. I'll fight Sin with you, Braska. Then maybe my life will have meaning, you know."

"Don't do this, Jecht!" Auron says, turning to the blitzballer. "If you live...there may be another way! We'll think of something, I know!"

"Believe me, I thought this through," Jecht says, looking over at Auron. "Besides," he continues, shrugging, "I ain't gettin' any younger, so I might as well make myself useful."

"Jecht," Braska says, looking at his guardian.

"What! You're not gonna try to stop me, too?"

"Sorry. I mean...thank you."

"Braska still has to fight Sin, Auron," Jecht says, looking over at Auron. "Guard him well. Make sure he gets there," he finishes, before turning back to Braska. "Well, let's go." Braska gives a short nod, and he and Jecht begin to walk away.

"Lord Braska! Jecht!" Jecht turns, looking a little annoyed at Auron.

"What do you want now?"

"Sin always comes back. It comes back after the Calm every time! The cycle will continue and your deaths will mean nothing!" Auron says, trying one final time to stop them.

"But there's a chance it won't come back this time. It's worth trying," Braska says, looking solemnly at Auron.

"I understand what you're saying, Auron. I'll find a way to break the cycle," Jecht replies, nodding.

"You have a plan?" Auron asks, causing Braska to look at Jecht.

"Jecht?"

"Trust me, I'll think of something," he says, beginning to laugh. Auron draws his sword, walking up to the image of his younger self, and with a roar of anger, slashes down through the image several times.

"Auron...it's okay," I say calmly, looking over at him.

"And the cycle went on," Auron says, somewhat sadly.

"We'll break it!" Tidus exclaims, clenching a fist and looking at everyone.

"But how?" Wakka asks, shrugging. "What, you got a plan now?"

"If one of us has to become a fayth...I volunteer," Lulu says, looking at Yuna. Wakka also turns upon hearing this.

"Me too, Yuna!"

"That still won't change anything, you know? You'd bring the Calm, and then what? That won't break the cycle!" Tidus yells, looking a little angry now.

"Listen...you wanna defeat Sin and keep Yuna alive? You don't want Sin to come back, ya? That is just not gonna happen, brudda, you know?" Wakka says, looking over at Tidus.

"If you want everything, you'll end up with nothing," Lulu adds. Tidus looks quite annoyed now.

"But I want everything!" he says, almost sounding like he's whining.

"Now you're being childish!" Wakka scolds, causing Tidus to throw his arms up in exasperation.

"I give up," he says, looking at all of us. "So what would an adult do, then? They know they can just throw away a summoner, then they can do whatever they like. You're right, I might not even have a chance. But no way am I just gonna stand here and let Yuna go. And what Auron said about there being a way...I think it's true."

"'You'll think of something?'" Rikku says playfully, causing Tidus to nod as I chuckle softly.

"I'll go ask Yunalesca. She's got to know something."

"You really think she'll help you?" Rikku asks, looking at Tidus

"I don't know, but I have to try. This is my story. It'll go the way I want it...or I'll end it here," Tidus says, determination filling his speech.

"Wait," Yuna breaks in, looking over at him. "You say it's your story, but it's my story too, you know? It would be so easy...to let my fate just carry me away...following this same path my whole life through. But I know...I can't. What I do, I do...with no regrets."

"Yuna's right," I say, adamantly. "This is also my story, and I'm not going to stand by idly and let it just do what it will with me. I'm done just standing by. It's time to take action. It's time to cast aside these traditions. It's time to find a new way, and fight for what we believe. No regrets. I've found my path, and it's time to walk it." As I finish, everyone gives a silent nod, and we run up the stairs and out into the room beyond, ready to confront Yunalesca.

* * *

As we enter the room, Yunalesca appears, and hovers above the ground.

"Have you chosen the one to become your fayth?" she asks. "Who will it be?"

"Might I ask something first?" Yuna says. "Will Sin come back even should I use the Final Summoning to defeat it?"

"Sin is eternal," she replies. "Every aeon that defeats it becomes Sin in its place...and thus is Sin reborn."

"So that's why Jecht became Sin." Tidus says, now piecing the puzzle together.

"Sin is an inevitable part of Spira's destiny. It is neverending," Yunalesca continues, Wakka looking at her in mild disbelief.

"Neverending? But...but...if we atone for our crimes, Sin will stop coming back, ya? Someday, it'll be gone, ya?"

"Will humanity ever attain such purity?" Yunalesca questions, causing everyone's eyes to widen.

"This...this cannot be!" Lulu exclaims. "The teachings state that we can exorcise Sin with complete atonement! It's been our only hope all these years!"

"Hope is...comforting. It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it may be."

"No!" Tidus exclaims, along with the ghostly form of Auron, who has now reappeared, as well as a ghostly form of Yunalesca.

"Where is the sense in all this! Braska believed in Yevon's teachings and died for them! Jecht believed in Braska and gave his life for him!" the young Auron exclaims, slashing his sword through the air angrily.

"They chose to die...because they had hope," the ghostly Yunalesca replies, causing Auron to scream and charge her. Yunalesca simply raises a hand and fires a blast of energy, striking the ghostly Auron and causing his sword to fly out of his hands. Falling to the ground without a sound, the ghostly Auron lies still as his sword stabs into the ground beside him. Both the images fade, as Yunalesca speaks again.

"Yevon's teaching and the Final Summoning give the people of Spira hope. Without hope, they would drown in their sorrow. Now, choose. Who will be your fayth? Who will be the one to renew Spira's hope?"

Everyone is silent for a few moments, before Yuna raises her head and looks at Yunalesca again.

"No one. I would have gladly died. I live for the people of Spira, and would have gladly died for them. But no more! The Final Summoning...is a false tradition that should be thrown away," Yuna says, defiantly. Smiling, I watch on as Yunalesca continues.

"No. It is our only hope. Your father sacrificed himself to give that hope to the people. So they would forget sorrow."

"Wrong. My father...my father wanted...to make Spira's sorrow go away. Not just cover it up with lies!" Yuna exclaims, angry now.

"Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is meaningless to try," Yunalesca states. Glaring, Yuna looks straight into her eyes, before speaking again.

"My father...I loved him. So I...I will live with my sorrow, I will live my own life! I will defeat sorrow, in his place. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don't know when it'll be but someday, I will conquer it. And I will do it without...false hope."

Shaking her head, Yunalesca rises up into the air, now looking down on us.

"Poor creature. You would throw away hope. Well...I will free you before you can drown in your sorrow. It is better for you to die in hope than to live in despair. Let me be your liberator."

"Now! This is it! This is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!" Auron exclaims, drawing his sword and pointing it at the unsent summoner.

"Yuna needs Kimahri. Kimahri protect Yuna," Kimahri says, leveling his poleaxe at Yunalesca.

"Well, I'm fighting!" Rikku exclaims.

"I can't believe we're gonna fight Lady Yunalesca! Gimme a break!" Wakka yells, shaking his head and grabbing World Champion. Lulu turns to him, face impassive as ever.

"You can always run."

"Hah!" he says, looking over at the black mage. "I'd never forgive myself—no way! Not if I ran away now. Even in death, ya!" Lulu just smiles, looking back at Yunalesca.

"My thoughts exactly."

"It's time to end this! Cast aside the false traditions, and start a new way!" I yell, looking over at Rikku. "Rikku! I'm right here, no matter what! Let's do this together!" I say, causing her to smile and nod.

"Yuna! This is our story! Now let's see this thing through together!" Tidus yells to Yuna, who nods, gripping her staff tightly, as we all prepare to fight a summoner unsent for a thousand years, and end a tradition that has caused the death of summoners since the arrival of Sin.

* * *

Next chapter, all heck breaks loose as the gang goes up against Yunalesca! It's gonna be intense, so get ready! As always, please review!


	38. Chapter 38: Breaking The Cycle

We're winding down now! Only 4 or so more chapters to go before the ending! As always, the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: No. I would've come anyway.

SS5Matt: Well...here's the good part. (grins)

Auron's Fan: There is no way I would get that speech wrong. It's one of the best lines in the game, along with his 'Where is the sense in all this!' line, and Yuna's monologue there. And apparently, a thousand years hasn't changed Yunalesca's fashion sense one bit. Go figure. (shrug)

desert-tiger: Well, least it wasn't a LONG wait...hehe...

anbu713: Heh. Okay.

And now, on to the fight with Yunalesca!

* * *

Chapter 38—Breaking The Cycle

_(Play SO3 theme Frightened Eyes)_

"Alright, you psycho, you're going down!" I yell, charging Yunalesca and aiming a right hook at her head. Smiling evilly, the summoner simply raises a hand, causing a magical shield to appear around her to block my attack, before she casts a Blind spell on me. Staggering back, I fumble around for a moment, before pulling out an Eye Drops item and using it.

"Mental Break!" Auron yells, running in and striking down. Auron's attack bounces off the shield as well, before she also Blinds Auron. Tidus and Kimahri run in for a double-team, and find themselves in much the same predicament after a moment. I can hear Yuna curing the two of them, and I don't take my eyes off of Yunalesca for a second.

"Okay...every melee attack she uses Blind...every magic, Silence. I hate this," I mutter, running back in and executing a jumping spin-kick, my foot bouncing off the shield again, but weakening it. As Yunalesca Blinds me yet again, I simply freeze, and focus. The air moves around me, and I dodge to the left instinctively, something flying by my head with barely an inch to spare. Smirking, I bring my leg up twice in snapping kicks, feeling both bounce off the shield.

"Silence Buster!" Wakka's blitzball suddenly whizzes in and bounces off Yunalesca's Protect spell. That final attack causes the shield to break, and even as Yunalesca raises a hand to Blind Wakka, Tidus and I are in her face. Tidus brings his sword down hard across her midsection, and I launch a spinning heel kick, feeling the attack connect with her chest. After the attacks finish, Yunalesca puts the Protect back up, causing me to growl softly.

"Esuna!" Yuna yells, casting the magic on first myself, then Wakka, then everyone else who had been Blinded. Lulu takes this chance to attack.

"Flare!"

The powerful Black Magic spell slams into Yunalesca with intense force, and she actually winces for the first time this fight, before pointing a palm at Lulu.

"Silence!"

The magical attack hits Lulu, instantly keeping her from casting any spells, and I frown, grabbing my staff and raising it.

"Holy!"

The powerful White Magic spell lances from the sky, slamming into Yunalesca with equally intense force, and causing her to flinch again. Shaking my head, I drop into a defensive position. Like Flare, Holy drains a lot of my magic power. If I had to guess, I'd say about a third, maybe closer to half. But now isn't the time to contemplate that. Yunalesca quickly recovers from the two powerful spells cast against her, and Silences me. Cursing, though no sound is coming from my mouth, I pull out an Echo Screen and use it as Yuna summons an aeon.

"Shiva, come forth!" she yells, ice shards slamming down behind her and revealing the fayth of Shiva, which bursts through the crystals and stands in front of us.

"Heavenly Strike!"

Shiva raises a hand, before a magically-charged ice crystal drops from above Yunalesca, slamming into her with quite a bit of force. Growling, Yunalesca raises a hand, and trails of energy fly from Shiva to Yunalesca. Shiva drops to a knee, drained from the attack as Yunalesca stands tall, apparently healed.

"Diamond Dust!" Yuna calls, and Shiva stands back up, firing a small wave of ice at Yunalesca, followed by a larger one that freezes the area solid. Snapping, Shiva smirks as the ice explodes, carving up anything nearby.

"Foolish creature," Yunalesca says, before absorbing energy from Shiva again, causing the aeon to fall and fade away.

"Okay...this is a problem," I say, unsheathing my katana. "Renzokuken!" Running in, I slash downwards several times, Yunalesca's mocking laughter sounding in my ear. Until one of my final strikes slashes through the Protect and into her, that is. Jumping back, I growl and pick my finishing move.

"Shadow Blitz!" The entire area goes dark as I charge Yunalesca again, slashing six more times at the fiendish woman, before jumping back, the area re-lighting itself.

_(End SO3 theme Frightened Eyes)_

"I've gone easy on you thus far. That will change. Now," she says, floating up higher into the air, before she suddenly glows. Through the glare, I can see her transforming, and I cringe as the blinding light dims. Now, Yunalesca is suspended in the air on several tentacles, seeming to be like a series of joined legs. Her silver hair has now turned into something resembling wings, and she laughs, before pointing a finger at us.

_(Play SO3 theme Malicious Fingers)_

"Hellbiter!"

Before we have any clue what's happening, a multitude of pale tentacles slice up from the ground at us, biting and tearing into each of us. They don't do much damage, luckily, but all of us are instantly afflicted with Zombie status from the attack.

"Esu..."

"Wait!" I yell, stopping Yuna.

"Why?" she asks, and I look at her.

"Trust me...she'll kill us all if we aren't zombies. Don't ask how...but she will. Just don't cure it," I tell her, hoping not to reveal too much about myself and my knowledge, but hoping to save us all from being killed.

"Hastega!" Tidus yells, the time magic speeding all of us up, thankfully. Tidus runs in after that and slashes downward, while Kimahri stands up straight and blows a stream of fire at the summoner, Yunalesca getting burned by the attack.

"Cura!" Yunalesca yells, and suddenly I drop to the ground, searing pain coursing through me.

"Ben!" Rikku yells, throwing a grenade at Yunalesca to distract her.

"Yuna...cast Reflect..." I moan, standing up weakly.

"Reflect!" Yuna yells, beginning to cast the magic on all of us, in order to protect us from an onslaught of healing magic. Unfortunately, it's a double-edged sword. We may not get hurt, but Yunalesca can easily heal herself. It seems to be a lose-lose situation.

"Mental Break!" Auron yells, running in and slashing down at Yunalesca, lowering her defense against magic even further.

"Flare!" Lulu yells again, the beam of non-elemental magic slamming into Yunalesca.

"Silence Buster!" Wakka cries, World Champion biting deep, but failing to Silence the summoner.

"Pathetic..." she mocks, casting a Regen on Wakka, which bounces off and hits her instead. Sparkling stars begin to flash around her, and some wounds slowly begin to heal up.

"We're gonna have to kill her quickly...Yuna, Dispel her! Everyone else, let's take her down! Flare!" I yell, Yuna casting the Dispel along with my Flare. Both connect, and Yunalesca growls as my wave of non-elemental energy burns at her.

"Holy!" Yuna cries, taking the chance to fire a powerful spell of her own. The white balls of light arc down from the sky and slam into the unsent woman with force, making her float back slightly.

"Magic Break!" Auron cries, darting in and striking down with the sword. The attack hurts Yunalesca, but nothing further than that.

"Pests...Hellbiter!" The attack connects again, hurting us all a little more, and I'm silently thankful that Yuna Reflected us all. No healing magic from her can hurt us. Which is good, because she could hurt us a lot with it. Just to state the obvious.

"Doublecast: Firaga!" Lulu yells, and my eyes go wide at Lulu's acquisition of one of the most powerful abilities that exists. A duo of Firaga spells slam into Yunalesca, and she grunts, before Auron runs back in and brings the sword down. A cut makes its way across Yunalesca's body, and she frowns, before a chain of Waterga spells goes off in her face. Rikku smirks, and I chuckle slightly, wincing. That Cura attack really hurt, and the Flare has drained most of my magic power. No healing is making this difficult.

"Take this!" Wakka yells, an aura of lightning crackling around the blitzball, which he kicks at Yunalesca. The ball impacts in the chest of the summoner, and she roars in pain, before staring us all down with an evil grin.

_(End SO3 theme Malicious Fingers)_

"You...you think you can beat me...? We'll just have to see..." she says, sounding pained now, as she suddenly glows again, and changes. When the light fades, Yunalesca looks nothing like before. In her place is a large, pale colored head, looking much like the infamous gorgons of mythology. Snake-like strands of hair, easily several times larger than any of us, extend from the top of the head, and fangs replace two of her teeth.

_(Play FFX theme The Deceased Laugh)_

"Mega Death!" she calls, and suddenly, a purple wave of energy shoots from the ground, going over all of us. Thankfully, since we are all currently zombies, the attack does nothing. It only kills the living.

"Heh...we found a way to beat you!" I yell, gripping my katana tightly. Running in, I slash down across one of the eyes, and connect. One of the snakes slams into me, though, and I go stumbling back, tripping and falling. I can barely move now, and everyone else is showing definite signs of fatigue as well.

"Enough!" Auron yells, and suddenly brings his sword back, arm outstretched. Focusing, he begins to spin, and fast, as an aura of energy surrounds him. Stopping after a moment, he slashes his blade through the air in front of him. A tornado suddenly appears out of the air in front of him and slams into Yunalesca, ripping into her. Taking the jug off his belt, he suddenly lobs it in, as the tornado explodes in a great burst of fire.

'_Whoa...now that was neat,'_ I think to myself, getting up slowly and bringing out my staff.

"Thundaga!" I yell, wincing as I cast the spell. A bolt of lightning hits Yunalesca, and she screeches in pain, the Overdrive a moment ago having weakened her a great deal. Yuna looks over all of us for a brief moment, and brings her staff forward, preparing for a summoning.

"Bahamut!" she yells, twirling her staff as a glyph suddenly appears in the sky, something diving down towards it. The figure bursts through the glyph and sails down, revealing itself to be the powerful Bahamut. Landing by Yuna's side, Yuna smiles before calling out the attack.

"Mega Flare!"

As Bahamut prepares the attack, doing a backflip to land on all four feet, I can't help but smile. Bahamut charges a ball of energy in its mouth, the wheel on its back beginning to spin, before it blasts the beam out. The attack slams full force into the unsent, and she howls in pain as it tears away at her body.

When the dust clears, Yunalesca is revealed to be badly burned, bleeding, and seemingly on the last bit of her strength. Smiling, I look over at Yuna.

"Want the honors?" I ask, and she nods,dismissing Bahamut andraising her staff.

"Holy!" The bright beams of light lance down from the clouds again, and smash into Yunalesca with terrifying force, causing her to scream in agony. When the light clears again, we can see pyreflies slowly leaking from Yunalesca's body, now back in its original form. The fight is over.

_(End FFX theme The Deceased Laugh)_

"If I die...so does the Final Aeon. And with it, Spira's only hope," she says, looking over all of us.

"Then we'll find Spira a new hope!" Tidus shouts defiantly.

"Fool. There is no other way. Even if there was...even if you did destroy Sin...Yu Yevon the immortal would only create Sin anew," she says, now beginning to look up at the sky.

"Yu Yevon?" Tidus asks, Yunalesca ignoring him as she continues to stare.

"Ah...Zaon...forgive me...Spira has been robbed of the light of hope...all that remains is sorrow," she finishes, before bursting into a cloud of pyreflies, which fade away quickly.

"I cannot believe what we just did," Yuna says after a moment, turning to all of us.

"Let's do something more unbelievable," Tidus says, facing Yuna.

"What?" Rikku asks, turning to Tidus.

"Destroy Sin. So it won't come back, and without the Final Aeon. I don't know how just yet, but I'll find out." Tidus gives a final look at everyone, and nods. Wincing, I pull out a Holy Water and use it, everyone else following my lead, before myself and Yuna begin to cast Curaga spells on everyone to replenish our strength. That fight was not an easy one, by any means. Finally healed, we all start to walk back towards the entrance to the dome.

"We must talk," Auron tells Tidus, and I continue to walk, knowing what the conversation is about. Moving back into the room with the statue of Lord Zaon, we take the elevator back up, and exit the Cloister of Trials, making our way back through the dome, and back outside. When we get back outside, a surprise is waiting for us.

"Sin..." I mutter, seeing the gigantic creature mere yards from the dome, apparently waiting on something. Everyone's hands drop to their weapons, and I speak.

"Stop!" I say, looking over everyone. "It hasn't made any kind of hostile move. Let's just leave it alone. It seems to be waiting on something."

Everyone gives me a look as if to say I'm nuts, but obligingly lower their weapons. Sin just stares us down for a moment, as Tidus and Auron walk out of the dome now. Sin looks at Tidus a moment, and growls softly, as if almost trying to speak to him. Tidus simply stares at the creature for a moment, before I hear the airship approaching. As it moves towards the dome, Sin turns around and lumbers off, moving past the airship silently and back into the water. No one says anything, as the airship lands to let us all back on board.

* * *

"Aren't we the happy lookin' bunch," Cid says as we walk back into the bridge. 

"Frana? Frana?" Brother asks Cid, apparently meaning our next destination.

"'Where? Where?' That all you can say? Why don't you think of something?" Rikku exclaims, storming to another part of the bridge.

"Well? Any good ideas?" Auron asks Tidus, standing near the railing on the bridge.

"Come on, help us!" he says, apparently talking to Auron, but I'm not completely sure. I'm not really focused on the conversation.

"What do we know...Sin is Jecht. Thus, you have a link...a bond with Sin. That may be our key," Auron says, thinking out loud.

"So what do we do?" Tidus inquires, Auron turning away from our group.

"We think, and we wait."

"Two things I'm bad at," Tidus mutters, as Auron walks up to Yuna. He looks at her for a moment, before walking out of the room silently. Everyone looks at Yuna, who walks up to Cid. Cid turns to face her, and she bows before turning away again. After a minute, Yuna walks out of the bridge, along with Kimahri. A minute later, Tidus follows, as I walk over to where Rikku is sitting.

"Feeling okay?" I ask, getting her attention.

"No..." she mutters, looking up at me for a moment as I sit down. "I just...I just feel bad. That's all."

"Want to talk?" I ask, and she looks at me, before nodding.

"It's just...what if Yunalesca was right? What if the only way to beat Sin _is _the Final Aeon? What if we can't win?" she says.

"Rikku...we can. Trust me. We can do it," I reply, looking over at her. "It's that kind of thinking that tears a team apart. Negative thoughts. We can do it. We will do it. All you have to do is believe that we can. Don't give up hope just yet."

"You're right...we can do it," Rikku replies, looking around at the bridge, before turning back to me. "I'm glad Yunie's okay, too."

"Same here," I say, smiling. "Ghuf fryd amca? E's kmyt oui'na ugyo," I say, slipping into Al Bhed for a moment. Rikku grins as I walk off a bit, and I lean against the wall as the doors open once more, to let Tidus, Kimahri, Yuna, and Auron back inside.

"Hey, guys!" Wakka yells, walking over from where he was standing, talking to Lulu. "I just had a great idea!"

"What is it?" I ask, walking over to where everyone is now gathering.

"It's like this, ya!" Wakka begins, but is interrupted by Lulu now.

"The Hymn is the key," Lulu says, causing Wakka to groan in exasperation, and me to chuckle slightly.

"The Hymn?" Tidus asks, causing Lulu to nod.

"Sir Jecht likes the Hymn of the Fayth, correct?"

"Yeah," Tidus responds, Rikku walking up now and adding her input.

"That's why he was listening to it in Macalania!" she says, and we nod.

"Sin...violence incarnate, listening peacefully," Lulu says, almost in disbelief.

"I know it's your old man, and I don't mean no disrespect, but..." Wakka starts, Tidus holding up a hand to silence him.

"No, it's fine. I've gotten used to it."

"Let me say it," Lulu cuts in, looking from Wakka to Tidus. "If we attack Sin head-on, we've little chance of winning. However, if he hears the Hymn of the Fayth, he will become docile."

"Yeah, and that's when we make our move!" Wakka agrees, clenching a fist. "Might be against the rules and all, but who's keeping track, ya? Ya?" he says, and I chuckle.

"No one's keeping track any more, Wakka. We're outcasts, but we're gonna do what no one else has managed to do," I say, pushing off the wall to go stand beside Rikku and Tidus.

"Yeah! It could really work!" Rikku exclaims, looking from me to everyone else.

"Yeah...yeah, it's worth a try!" Tidus says after a moment, and I nod as Tidus walks up to Cid.

"Hey, Cid! Take us to Bevelle! We need to talk to Maester Mika!" Tidus says, and Cid turns to look at Tidus as if he's finally lost the rest of his mind.

"Last time we went to Bevelle, we nearly got blown outta the sky! You sure, kid?" he asks, and Tidus nods.

"It's the only thing we can think of at the moment. I say, let's go for it." Tidus responds, and Cid nods.

"Alright then." Cid says, turning to Brother and nodding, Brother turning around and beginning to work the panel in front of him as Cid gives a shout. "Yeehaw! Next stop, Bevelle!" he yells, and I chuckle as the airship speeds up, headed for the Highbridge of Bevelle.

* * *

Oh boy. Shelinda and Mika. This will be...amusing, to say the least. As always, please review! It's winding down to the end now! 


	39. Chapter 39: Conflicting Views

Finally, the ending has begun! Only 4 or so more chapters to go! Onwards to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: (brain overloads) Too...many...quotes...mixed...together...(faints)

Auron's Fan: I really have no answer to that. If you mean does Yuna send her, no, I don't believe so. It's never shown, at least. Actually, I have a lot of favorite writers and stories, but I mostly keep them bookmarked instead of using the site features for that. Just a quirk. And thanks for saying I have the talent to write.

Iron Reaver: Sir Auron...has finally lost it.

SS5Matt: Heh, pretty nice sneak peek there. I would say something, but I don't want to spoil anything about the sequel. Go to my homepage and look carefully at Ben's bio, though...you may find something interesting.

desert-tiger: The same thing I do every day, of course! Try to take over the world! Mwahaha! (cough) Wait...whoops. Did I say that out loud...? (runs off quickly)

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yeah, I have a strong dislike of Bevelle now. And for the most part, I think I'd just go along with things, instead of trying to change them. But it would have to happen for me to know for sure, of course.

And now, without further ado, the beginning...of the end. (cheesy grin)

* * *

Chapter 39—Conflicting Views

It only takes about 10 minutes to reach the Highbridge, and soon the airship lands. As we all step out, we're immediately greeted by two guards, rifles pointed directly at us.

"Infidel!" one shouts, Wakka shaking his head.

"Man, don't those guys ever give up?" he says, and I chuckle slightly.

"You'll regret showing your face here!" the other yells. "We'll strike you down in the name of Yevon!"

"Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, so?" Tidus asks, turning to us. "Guys?"

"If they want a fight, let's give 'em one!" Rikku yells, raising her claw. I put my hand on my katana handle, ready to cut these two down.

"Prepare to charge!" one yells, and suddenly, Shelinda runs in from the temple behind them.

"Stop!" she cries, causing the two to stop and turn to face her.

"Captain?" one asks, and she nods.

"Lady Yuna is not to be harmed! That is an evil rumor spread by the Al Bhed!"

"What?" Rikku asks in disbelief.

"Maester Mika himself told me!" she replies, and I frown.

'_Probably a lie, then,' _I think to myself, taking my hand off my katana handle.

"Then...what are we to do?" the guard asks again, and Shelinda turns back to him.

"Stand down!" Rikku says, before Shelinda can give an order.

"As she says!" Shelinda orders, and the guards lower their rifles, walking back towards the temple.

"What was that about evil Al Bhed?" Rikku asks, and I notice a tinge of anger in her voice.

"I..." she stammers for a moment, before composing herself. "Truly, I do not understand it myself. All Yevon seems to be in a state of confusion. Why, yesterday they called me out of the blue and made me captain of the guard!" she exclaims. For the first time I've seen since being in Spira, Auron smirks.

"Short on believers?" he asks, and I chuckle again. Auron's comment is right on the mark.

"Yes, the chaos in the temples is worse than I'd imagined. It's horrible! And all the priests do is blame each other. I worry what will become of Yevon," she says, looking down for a moment. After a second of staring at the ground, she lifts her head again, determination plastered on her features. "But no! I must be the rock that stands against the swirling tides, right?" she asks, turning to Yuna. "Lady Yuna, I must tell you, your courage has been a great inspiration to me." Yuna simply nods, looking over at the girl.

"Yeah, that's great, but we came here to see Maester Mika," Tidus says, sounding annoyed. "Is he here?" Shelinda nods.

"Yes. I shall arrange an audience," she says, walking away a moment, before stopping. "Please wait in the courtroom." All of us nod as she walks away towards the temple.

"Hey, hey, wait! What was all that about the Al Bhed lying and stuff?" Rikku asks, stepping in front of everyone.

"Simple. Yuna has become Mika's only hope," Auron responds, looking at the Al Bhed girl.

"Oh...okay," Rikku says, understanding it was all a simple lie.

"Just what does he think he can get away with?" Lulu says, slightly angry at Mika's arrogance.

"Time to teach him some manners!" Tidus exclaims, Yuna nodding.

"Yes, let's," she replies, and all of us nod, headed towards the temple.

* * *

As we stand inside the courtroom, awaiting the Grand Maester's arrival, I look around, examining the inside of the building intently. Suddenly, Mika walks in, standing in front of all of us.

"Why are you here? You must go and defeat Sin, quickly!" Mika says, looking over all of us. "You have obtained the Final Aeon from Yunalesca, have you not?"

"Well, we did meet her," Tidus says, Yuna continuing his sentence.

"We fought and defeated her." Mika's eyes go wide at this, and he jerks back as if he was punched in the face.

"What!"

"Summoners and guardians will be sacrificed for the Final Summoning no more!" Auron exclaims, stepping forward to face Mika.

"You have profaned and subverted a thousand-year-old tradition! Fools! Infants! Do you realize what you've done? You've taken away the only means of calming Sin!" Mika yells, obviously in shock at what we've done.

"Maester Mika? You are wrong. We've found another way to beat Sin, and we're going to do it. Whether you think we can or not doesn't really matter to me. Believe what you will," I say, annoyed at the Maester's arrogance.

"Why...preposterous! There is no other way!" he shouts, glaring at us.

"The grand maester, running away?" Auron states, looking over at Mika.

"Spira has lost its only hope. Destruction is inevitable. Yu Yevon's spiral of death will consume us all. I have no desire to watch Spira die."

"It won't die!" Yuna exclaims, clenching her fists.

"Who is this Yu Yevon guy?" Tidus asks, confused as to what the maester mentioned.

"Lady Yunalesca also mentioned him," Lulu adds, Rikku looking at Mika with a confused expression as well.

"Wait, gramps! Who's Yu Yevon?"

"He who crafts the souls of the dead into unholy armor. An armor called Sin. Clad in it, Yu Yevon is invincible. And the only thing that could have pierced that armor, you have destroyed! Nothing can stop it now," Mika replies, shaking his head, before vanishing, a few pyreflies floating from where he stood.

"Disappear on us, will ya? Rotten son of a shoopuf!" Wakka curses, and I chuckle slightly at his choice of words.

"Where...where is the grand maester?" Shelinda says, startling me slightly with her quick appearance.

"He, um..." Yuna begins, but is cut off by Auron.

"He's not here yet. How long must we wait?" Auron says stoically, and Shelinda steps back a little.

"That's odd...I'll go look for His Grace," she replies, walking away quickly.

"It's you," Tidus suddenly says, and I turn to see the fayth floating there, in front of us.

"Come, to my room," he says, looking over Tidus, Yuna, and I, and we all nod.

"Okay," Yuna replies, the fayth vanishing a moment after.

"Who you talking to?" Wakka asks us, Tidus spinning to face him.

"Oh. Uh, no one."

"I must go see the fayth," Yuna says, Auron smirking for the second time I've seen.

"I see," he replies simply, and I nod, speaking up.

"I also need to see the fayth. I'm going with them." Auron nods yet again, and Tidus, Yuna, and I walk off towards the Cloister of Trials.

* * *

As we enter the Cloister of Trials, I look around, and see the fayth floating in front of us. Stepping farther into the room, I do the prayer gesture to the fayth. Even though the religion of Yevon is more or less a farce, I still do the gesture as a sign of respect.

"Hello," the fayth says, looking over the three of us.

"I must thank you for the aeon," Yuna says, and I nod.

"Yes, I must thank you as well."

"So, what's up?" Tidus asks, causing me to shake my head.

"So, have you found a way to truly defeat Sin?" the fayth asks, Tidus crossing his arms for a moment.

"Well...I think so."

"Well?" the fayth asks again.

"We fight Yu Yevon," Tidus states, the fayth nodding slightly.

"Yes...if you defeat Yu Yevon, it will end. Tell me, what do you know about Yu Yevon?"

"He's what makes Sin come back!" Tidus says, Yuna nodding.

"Sin is his armor. It protects him," she says, and I decide to speak now.

"He lives inside Sin, summoning forever. He relies on the Final Aeon to remake Sin anew." The fayth nods to all of us, and begins to speak once again.

"Yu Yevon was once a summoner, long ago. He was peerless. Yet now he lives for one purpose: only to summon. He is neither good, nor evil. He is awake, yet he dreams. But...maybe not forever."

"Yeah, that's right," Tidus says, nodding. "Because we're ending it."

"Yes. Even if you defeat Sin with the Final Summoning, Yu Yevon will live. Yu Yevon will join with the Final Aeon. He will transform it into a new Sin."

"Yu Yevon merges with the aeon..." Yuna murmurs, the fayth continuing to speak.

"Then, protected by this new Sin he has created, Yu Yevon continues the summoning."

"For eternity...huh?" Tidus asks, the fayth nodding once more.

"But you know, there is no such thing as eternity if you end it, is there?" the fayth asks, and I smile.

"Right," I say simply.

"Yu Yevon lives inside Sin. Yuna, Ben, listen. When you fight Yu Yevon, we will help you. Promise me you'll summon us. I'm afraid your swords and magic won't be enough. Please, call us. Promise?" the fayth says, looking at the two of us.

"Yes," Yuna replies, nodding.

"We'll call you," I say, looking at the fayth.

"But, you know," he begins, turning to face Tidus, "When it is all over...we will wake, and our dream will end. Our dream will vanish." Tidus just nods.

"Yeah. You've been dreaming a long time, haven't you?" he asks, a slight tinge of sorrow in his voice.

"I'm sorry," the fayth says, looking at the blond boy.

"I'm grateful," he replies quickly, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. The fayth vanishes then, leaving us alone in the Chamber of the Fayth.

"About what?" Yuna says, turning to look at Tidus.

"Oh, nothing," Tidus replies, Yuna making a face of annoyance. "Hey, don't make that face! Come on! We're going to beat Sin! Let's see some cheer, okay?"

"You're hiding something," Yuna says plainly, and I edge back. More out of unconscious movement than actual thinking, I think, but out of slight fear no matter which it was.

"I'm not!" Tidus denies, walking towards the door.

"Really?" Yuna asks, causing Tidus to stop and make a hand gesture, seemingly waving it off. Tidus walks out the door then, and Yuna just continues to stare at where he stood. "You're a bad liar, you know?" she says, and I walk over to her.

"Yuna, it'll be okay. You'll see. Let's just go. We need to put an end to Spira's suffering," I say, Yuna looking at me for a moment before nodding, as we both walk out of the chamber.

* * *

As we arrive back at the courtroom, I notice Shelinda approaching as well.

"I'm afraid the Grand Maester is nowhere to be found!" she exclaims, looking at us.

"S'okay, we were just leaving," Tidus says, shrugging slightly.

"Oh...I see," Shelinda replies, Rikku stepping up slightly to face her.

"Hey! Maybe you could help us with the hymn," she tells Shelinda, who looks confused now.

"Hey, good idea!" Tidus agrees, and I nod, looking at Shelinda.

"It's like, we need you to tell as many people as you can," Rikku tells her, and she looks at the Al Bhed girl with a confused expression.

"What should I tell them?"

"A ship in the sky will sing the Hymn of the Fayth. When they hear it, we need everyone to sing along!" Rikku exclaims, obviously happy at the idea.

"Everyone in Spira!" Wakka agrees, looking over at the two of them.

"I'm not sure I understand," Shelinda replies, and I sigh softly.

'_When has she ever...' _I think, shaking my head as Rikku continues.

"You don't have to! Just tell everyone!"

"A ship in the sky will sing the Hymn of the Fayth," Shelinda repeats, looking over at all of us. "So when they hear it, everyone should sing along, correct?"

"If they do, we might be able to defeat Sin!" Tidus exclaims.

"Truly?" Shelinda asks incredulously.

"Yes!" Yuna says, her voice filled with hope and happiness.

"That's wonderful! You can count on me! I shall tell all of Spira!" Shelinda exclaims, running out quickly.

"We better get back to the airship. It's time to beat Sin, once and for all," I state, everyone nodding in agreement, and heading back out to the Highbridge.

* * *

Back on the airship, we all head to the bridge. As we enter, Tidus moves to speak to Wakka for some reason, but Wakka steps away, walking over to Cid. The older man turns, and Wakka begins to speak.

"There's something I want to say before the fight. I guess I didn't know anything about the Al Bhed. Didn't know anything. Didn't want to listen to anything. I was a big jerk. So, I...well, uh...I'm sorry, ya? Please forgive me," he says, Cid looking at him and nodding.

"Don't let it bother you. Hey, I'm guilty of hating those durn Yevonites, myself! There's a lot of folk in this world—some of 'em good, some of 'em bad. That's all there is to it," Cid replies, and Wakka nods, stepping back over to where he was standing. Cid turns back to the control panel, and Tidus walks over to Cid now.

"The final showdown with Sin," Cid says as Tidus approaches, turning to face the boy. "I say let's get this show on the road!"

"Let's do it, then!" Tidus yells, and we all nod, Cid turning back to the control panel, and tapping a few keys. Motioning to Brother, Cid says something in Al Bhed, and Brother nods, tapping something on the panel in front of him.

"Yee ha! Here we go!" Cid yells, as the airship begins to fly towards where I can only assume Sin is. And with it, the end of Spira's suffering will begin.

* * *

Finally, the final battle with Sin! The next chapter will, more or less, be one continuous fight scene. So get ready, because Sin is going down! As always, please review!


	40. Chapter 40: Sinfall

Well, finally, the fight with Sin has arrived! And this chapter was long, 11, almost 12 pages in WordPerfect. Anyway, on to the replies!

Iron Reaver: Sir Auron is going to kill you, you know that, right?

desert-tiger: Or, as Wakka put it, 'Like happy festival fireworks, ya?'

Auron's Fan: Yes, that is one of my favorite parts in the game. Seeing Auron snap at Shelinda is always good for a smile and laugh.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yeah. Sin's gonna bite the dirt. But the romance...it is there.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: (blinks) If by glowing power-up thingy, you mean Shadow Blitz, that may make another appearance, I haven't decided yet. You'll see it again in the sequel, however, along with a slew of other things...(evil grin)

SS5Matt: Well, I'm not sure on that. You may be able to find the answer once you see it used in the sequel, however.

XxCougarxX: Yeah, the airship just...rocks.

Pheonix: Welcome to Destiny's Call, Pheonix. Man, it's hard to spell your name right...but I digress. I'm glad you find it a good story, even though it's near the end now. If you enjoy this one, stick around for the sequel!

Now...onwards, to Sin, and victory!

* * *

Chapter 40—Sinfall

"Well, this is it, eh?" Cid asks. We've been flying about 10 minutes now, and no sign of Sin yet. I can feel that we're getting close, however.

"Yu Yevon's hiding somewhere inside Sin, and we're gonna find him," Tidus says, adamantly.

"Well, that sounds pretty simple," Cid replies, and I chuckle.

"The simpler the better," I say, shaking my head and walking over to a wall of the bridge.

"You got that right," Cid says, Rikku turning to him.

"Pops! I'm countin' on you!"

"Right! Got you covered!" Cid tells her, walking over to one of the computers and pressing some buttons, the Hymn of the Fayth beginning to play over the ship's speakers. "How's that?"

"Right on!" Rikku exclaims, hopping eagerly.

"A singing ship in the sky," Lulu mutters, Wakka looking around at all of us.

"I hope everyone got the message."

"Sin!" Brother suddenly yells, snapping us all out of our thoughts. Looking ahead, I can see the massive form of Sin, floating in the sky. Taking a deep breath, I pull out my katana and examine it, quickly re-sheathing it and doing the same to my wakizashi. Pulling out my suwayyah, I examine them before grabbing my staff, a hand dropping to my side to check my items. Mentally, I scan my list of magic and make sure I can cast enough, before looking around. The entire process has taken no more than 45 seconds for me to finish.

"Are we ready to do this?" I ask, everyone nodding.

"Let's get up there!" Tidus yells, and Lulu nods.

"Let's go," she says simply, and we all start to walk towards the door, before Cid stops us.

"Hey, how you plan on getting inside?" he asks, Tidus turning back to him.

"If we can't get through the mouth, we'll rip open a new one! You with me?" he says, causing the older man to chuckle.

"Now that's what I call a plan!" he says, Brother turning to him.

"Vydran! E ghuf fryd du ica!" Brother says, and I smile, knowing what he's referring to.

"Aha! Of course!" Cid replies, and Tidus laughs.

"Of course!" he says, causing me to shake my head.

"All right! We'll give that thing a new blowhole! All you gotta do is jump!" Cid tells us, and we all nod.

"Roger!" Tidus says.

"Fyed!" Brother says suddenly, causing Tidus to look towards him. Coughing, Brother speaks again, but this time it's not in Al Bhed. "Rikku, you...guard."

"Will do!" Tidus tells him, and I nod as well.

"I'll watch her. Don't worry." Taking one final deep breath, I turn around and follow everyone else onto the deck of the airship.

_(Play FF8 theme The Stage Is Set)_

"I can hear the song!" Rikku shouts as we arrive on the deck. Indeed, I can hear the Hymn being played loudly. Loud enough to be heard over the rushing wind, which means the people below must be able to hear it. Or at least, I hope so.

"Yes, I can hear the Hymn too," Lulu states, and suddenly I begin to hear the Hymn a lot clearer. Rikku voices everyone's thoughts at this point.

"They listened to us!"

"We won't let them down!" Tidus says, walking over to the edge, before turning to face Yuna. "Yuna?"

"Hmm?" she says, looking over at him.

"You don't need this anymore, right?" he asks, holding out her sphere. Yuna gasps, fumbling with her skirt for a moment, looking around to discover the sphere isn't there. "Right?" he says, throwing the sphere off the side of the airship. Yuna looks at him for a moment, before nodding. Suddenly, the airship shakes a little, and Wakka points towards Sin.

"Hey, guys? Guys? That's not good, ya?" he says, voice shaking a little. Turning, we all look at Sin. Sin has now created a massive, black energy ball in front of him. Roaring, Sin lets the energy ball cover his body, and I can see the clouds parting above him from the sheer power. With another mighty roar, the energy ball splits into six, which fly off at a high speed. The energy balls cut through anything in their path, water, sky, even the very land, and we all fall to our knees.

"Everyone okay?" I ask, standing back up and looking around. Everyone is silent, and I look to see massive channels carved out of the land from the energy attack. Rikku stammers a little, and then yells, as the water that had been parted from the force suddenly collapses back onto itself, causing a massive line of water to come towards us. As it reaches the land, the water stops and is replaced by explosions, heading straight for us. Everyone yells, and tries to run back inside the airship, but we're too slow. The explosions connect almost right next to us, and throw us all to the deck.

_(End FF8 theme The Stage Is Set)

* * *

_

As I get up, I notice Tidus moving as well, along with everyone else. Tidus slowly stands up, and clenches both his fists.

"Damn you, old man..." he mutters, as everyone finally stands back up.

"Hey!" Cid says over the intercom, getting our attention. "I saw somethin' shine at the base of Sin's arm! I reckon it's a weak spot!"

"Then let's take it out," I mutter, drawing my staff, as everyone else prepares for battle. Suddenly, the ship shakes again, and Rikku yells.

"Sin's pulling us in!"

Sin's now flying alongside the airship at the exact same speed as us. Cid's voice comes over the intercom again after a moment.

"Everyone, back inside!" he yells, and I shake my head.

"Little late now. It's now or never!" I say, and everyone runs to the side of the airship, ready to take Sin down.

_(Play SO3 theme The Divine Spirit of Language)_

"This is it! Hit him with everything you've got!" I yell to everyone, pointing my hand at Sin. "Flare!"

"Holy!"

"Doublecast: Firaga!"

"Dark Buster!"

The first four attacks from us slam into Sin with terrifying force, enough to vaporize most lesser fiends in seconds. As the smoke clears, we can see a few scratches on the giant monster, but it's far from finished. The airship rocks again as Sin pulls us closer, and I realize we're now within melee range of the creature's fin.

"Flare!" I yell again, the attack slamming into Sin as Tidus, Auron, and Kimahri run into melee range to attack.

"Take this!"

"Armor Break!"

Tidus and Auron bring both swords down, cutting another set of gashes into Sin's fin as Kimahri uses his Lancet attack, draining some health and mana from Sin. Sin gives a whine, and swipes his fin across, knocking the trio back over to the rest of us.

"Coming through!" Rikku yells, a grenade slamming into Sin's fin and exploding, a large burn mark now evident.

"Yuna, summon an aeon!" I yell over to her, and she nods, holding her staff out in front of her ans quickly summoning the aeon Ixion.

"Ixion, Aerospark!" she yells, and Ixion slashes its horn across, a wave of lightning energy cutting into Sin's fin, causing the mighty creature to bellow in pain. "Hit it again, Ixion!" Ixion gives a whine, and repeats the Aerospark attack, another low whine coming from Sin as a result.

"That should do it! Cid, back away and ready the weapon!" I yell, hoping he will hear me. The airship lurches a little, and moves ahead of Sin quickly, before circling to aim at the creature's fin. Suddenly, two parts of the airship fan out, and large, lance-type weapons extend from the sides of the airship. A bolt of energy is quickly shot from each of the lances, and Sin howls in pain as its left fin is sheared completely off of its body, falling to the ground below.

"Got it!" Tidus yells, as Cid comes over the intercom again.

"Couldn't have done it without you! Alright, look sharp! Time to hit the other side!" he says, and we all nod, as the airship circles around Sin to face its right side. Sin gives a bellow of anger, and swipes its fin across, narrowly missing us as we duck.

"Easy for you to say!" Rikku yells, bringing Godhand in front of her.

"Doublecast: Flare!" Lulu suddenly cries, and my eyes go wide as a pair of orange beams slam into Sin's fin, large burn marks appearing on the creature's carapace. Lulu pulls out some kind of potion and drinks it, as I bring my staff in front of me again.

"Blizzaga!" The shard of ice shatters on the fin, causing it to ice over for a moment. As the ice breaks, Auron and Tidus are already in melee range.

"Armor Break!"

Auron's attack connects, lowering Sin's defense by a large margin, as Tidus slashes across with Caladbolg. World Champion flies in from the back as well and digs into the fin, Sin bellowing again and slicing the fin across. No one is hit again, and we prepare for another round of attacks.

"Waterga!"

"Firaga!"

"Holy!"

The trio of spells from myself, Lulu, and Yuna connect with the fin, and Sin howls again in pain. Standing back, I bring my staff into a summoning position, motioning to the others to step back. A series of ice crystals appears behind me, shattering to reveal Shiva, and she steps beside me as I give the order.

"Heavenly Strike!"

Shiva motions forcefully towards Sin, and a shard of ice drops from above to hit the fin, shattering and causing Sin to grunt again. Sin brings its fin around quickly, and Shiva is knocked back to land on the ground behind me. Getting up slowly, Shiva steps back beside me, and I grin.

"Diamond Dust!"

Shiva spins around and fires a wave of ice at Sin's fin, frosting it over, before spinning back the other way and firing another wave. This wave freezes the fin over completely, and Shiva snaps her fingers, causing the ice to shatter and cut the fin up. Nodding, I dismiss Shiva with a smile, as Rikku yells out.

"Pops! Let's get this fin!" she yells, the airship speeding up and circling around to face Sin. The lances extend again, and two more bolts of energy strike Sin's right fin, causing it to fall to the ground below. Sin is now floating in the air and crying out in pain, now having no fins.

_(End SO3 theme The Divine Spirit of Language)_

"Yeah! We got it!" Tidus exclaims, pumping a fist into the air.

"Yeehaw! Where next?" Cid asks over the speakers, and Brother's voice cuts in, talking to Cid.

"Ed ec ujan," he states, and Cid's voice comes back over, the older Al Bhed seeming to have forgotten to turn the speakers off.

"Fryd? Fa ryja uhmo pakih!" Cid replies.

"Pid dra syeh kih, ed ec pnugah!" Brother replies, and I resist the urge to facepalm.

"Dr-dryd lyhhud pa!" Cid exclaims, and I sigh.

"What a perfect time for this to happen, ya know..." I mutter, annoyed at the turn of events.

"The main gun's busted!" Rikku cries, looking at all of us.

"Dang it!" Cid's voice says again over the speakers. "All right, back inside! Time for another plan!"

"No!" Tidus yells defiantly. "Every blitzer knows: when you got the ball, you gotta score!"

"Tidus is right! Time to take the fight to Sin!" I yell, and Yuna nods.

"Let's go!" she exclaims, before running to the edge and jumping over the side.

"Hey! Star players first!" Tidus says, following Yuna. Gripping my staff tightly, I run over and dive off the side as well, everyone else following me after a moment. As we land on Sin's skin, the first thing we're confronted by is a glowing orb, and a large thing resembling a ball of flesh. Suddenly, the ball quivers and opens, revealing a Sinspawn. This Sinspawn resembles the one we fought a long time ago at Kilika, Geneaux. The only difference is this Sinspawn, Genais, is a different color.

_(Play SO3 theme More Complicated)_

"Okay...round 2..." I mutter, putting my staff away and drawing my katana and wakizashi. Everyone else drops back into battle stances, as the Sinspawn attacks. A burst of fire lances from the Sinspawn, and connects with Tidus. The teen barely flinches from the attack, and I realize it must be a weak spell. Tidus' counter-attack connects as well, a rising slash that runs up the length of the Sinspawn's body. Auron runs in right after Tidus, and brings his sword down in a powerful strike. Following the lead of the other two, I bring my swords down across the cuts already made. The Sinspawn hits me with a burst of ice, and I take a step back, but recover quickly.

Sin's core now takes a chance to attack, a wave of gravity magic flying out and hitting everything, including the Sinspawn. All of us cry out and drop to our knees, the powerful Gravija spell taking us down to a fourth of our original strength. Kimahri weakly stands up and uses Lancet on the creature, restoring some of his strength, and the rest of us drink potions to heal ourselves. Standing back up, I growl at the creature, and bring my swords to my side.

"Renzokuken!" I yell, running up to the creature and jumping onto its head. Slashing twice, I cut a gash across its head, before stabbing my sword in and twisting. The creature screeches and tries to dislodge me, but I jump down and slash across the creature's chest. Giving a final duo of slashes, I run back and bring my sword over my head.

"Fated Circle!" Jumping into the air, I spin around, causing an energy wave to fly from my swords and towards the Sinspawn. The area around them suddenly explodes, engulfing the Sinspawn and Sin's core in a wave of magical energy.

"Take this!" Wakka yells, throwing his blitzball at the Sinspawn. As World Champion connects, the Sinspawn reels back in pain, firing a bolt of lightning at Wakka in retaliation. Wakka flinches from the electricity, but stands straight after a moment. Lulu and Yuna raise a hand to the Sinspawn then, calling out spells.

"Flare!"

"Holy!"

The powerful non-elemental and holy attacks hit the Sinspawn with incredible force, and the creature howls in pain, before falling over and bursting into a cloud of pyreflies.

"Rikku, double-team?" I ask, sheathing my katana and wakizashi, and brandishing my suwayyah.

"Yeah!" she yells, and I smile, charging the core. Rikku runs beside me, and together we slash furiously at the core, bursts of magic flying in from Lulu to aid us. The core lets out another Gravija attack, and we all fall to our knees again. Standing back up weakly, Tidus charges the core and brings his sword down hard, splitting the core right down the middle.

_(End SO3 theme More Complicated)_

Sin gives a lurch then, and starts to fall towards the ground. The airship flies as close to Sin as it can get, and we jump, landing on the deck of the ship and turning back to Sin. The giant creature falls out of the sky, and hits the ground at Bevelle. The fiend's body digs a giant trench in the ground, and I smile, knowing that we've done it.

"Vydran! E lyhhud pameaja fryd E caa!" Brother exclaims.

"Pameaja ed, cuh! Drao'ja tuha ed! Ed ec rybbahehk!" Cid replies. Taking a final look at Sin, I begin to walk back inside, everyone else following me.

"Rikku, aqlammahd!" Brother exclaims as we re-enter the bridge. Rikku smiles, and walks over to her brother to talk. Taking a moment to look around, I sit down on one of the small staircases in the bridge, closing my eyes and beginning to meditate.

"It's going to come back, isn't it?" Yuna asks, and I hear Tidus' voice now.

"I know."

"What? You're kidding me!" Cid exclaims, shocked by the news.

"No!" Tidus says. "We have to beat the guy inside Sin."

"The Crusaders would be out of a job if it were this easy," Wakka says, Lulu also adding her input to the conversation.

"But it has weakened. I'm sure of it."

"Alright, I'll do what I can with the main gun!" Cid says, and I hear Tidus and Yuna begin to walk out. Opening my eyes, I stand up and follow them to the airship's deck. When I arrive, I see Yuna staring at the fallen form of Sin, and Tidus standing next to her.

_(Play FF8 theme The Oath)_

"I wonder if Sir Jecht is in pain," Yuna says, looking at Sin.

"Let's just end this...quickly," Tidus replies, putting a hand on Yuna's shoulder. "The fayth said they would help us, right?" he asks, and I step towards the two of them.

"Right. The fayth said we need to call them."

"It bothers me, the way they said that," Yuna says, and Tidus turns to her.

"Huh?"

"I mean, they've been fighting alongside us this whole time, but now they say they'll help?" she asks, causing me to look at her.

"It is a little strange, but we will probably need their help. Sin won't be easy to destroy. Neither will Yu Yevon."

"I guess so..." Tidus adds, reluctantly.

"Wait!" Yuna exclaims, having apparently figured something out. "Sin is reborn when Yu Yevon merges with an aeon, isn't that right?" she asks, and Tidus and I nod. "If I summon an aeon, Yu Yevon will join with it. But at first, it'll be small, won't it?"

"That's right," I say, and Tidus nods.

"Then, we might be able to beat it without the Final Summoning," he adds.

"I don't know. What if Yu Yevon jumps again?" Yuna asks, seeming unsure about everything.

"Then we'll take it down again!" Tidus exclaims. "We'll fight him until there's no place left to run!"

"Tidus is right. We can't doubt ourselves, not now. We've come too far to have second thoughts," I tell her, and she nods.

"I never thought it would come down to this."

"Yeah, I know," Tidus agrees. "Hey, the fayth, they're tired of this whole thing too. Let's let them rest."

"The fayth said it's pointless to keep dreaming. The dream will disappear, he said. What did he mean? And what is it that Yu Yevon is summoning from within Sin?"

"The dream of the fayth," Tidus says, somewhat hesitantly.

"You won't...go away, will you?" Yuna asks, turning to Tidus. Before Tidus can respond, however, Rikku's voice comes over the intercom.

_(End FF8 theme The Oath)_

"Yunie! Guys! Come look! Something's happening to Sin!" Turning quickly, we run back down to the bridge to join the others. When we get there, Rikku points out the window of the airship. Down below, we can see Sin rise up from the ground, and turn towards us again. Suddenly, glowing, white wings raise themselves from Sin's back, and it takes flight into the sky, approaching us. Before it gets to us, though, it stops and floats over a large tower, seemingly waiting for us to come to it.

"Jecht...he's waiting for you," Auron says, and Tidus nods.

"Well, son, the main gun is still busted! We can't give you any cover fire!" Cid tells us, and Tidus nods again.

"Hey, just take us in. We'll do the rest." Tidus tells him, and he nods. Tidus looks around the room at everyone, then, seemingly looking over all of his friends. Lulu gives a short nod, Rikku winks, and Wakka lifts his arm in a wave. Smiling, I watch Tidus as he walks over to us, Cid giving Brother the command.

"All right. Take us up, flush to the mouth! No mistakes, or I'm gonna tear out that mop you call hair!"

"Trust...me. Me..take you there. No problem...ya?" he says, trying to speak the normal language of Spira, instead of Al Bhed.

"Let's get ready to blitz!" Tidus yells, raising his hand into the air.

"Our father's wishes...let's make them come true!" Yuna exclaims, and we all nod, following Tidus and Yuna back to the deck.

* * *

As we arrive at the deck, we come almost face to face with the giant Sin, and I look down for a moment.

'_This is it...no second chances. We have to get this right now...' _I think, drawing my katana and wakizashi, as everyone else prepares to defeat Sin once and for all.

_(Play SO3 theme Beyond The One)_

"This is it, everyone! Let's give it everything we've got!" I yell, hoping to rally everyone. Everyone nods, and Lulu makes the first move. The attack she uses surprises me completely, however.

"Ultima!"

The most powerful Black Magic spell known, the ball of dark energy appears near Sin and rapidly expands, glowing brightly. Suddenly, the ball explodes, a dark energy wave engulfing Sin and causing the fiend to roar. With another roar, Sin draws the airship closer to it, and Wakka attacks now.

"Take this!" he yells, World Champion taking on a blue glow, as he kicks the ball into Sin's face. A watery explosion overtakes the creature's face, and it growls again, drawing the airship even closer. Now, Tidus takes this time to strike.

"It's over, Dad!" he yells, running in and slashing several times with his sword. Stabbing it into the ground, he jumps off of it, and Wakka throws World Champion high. Tidus' foot connects with the blitzball in a perfect Sphere Shot, and the ball blasts into Sin's face, causing an explosion. Auron is the next to attack.

"Enough!" he cries, holding his sword out and beginning to spin. A tornado of energy forms around him, and he slashes his sword a final time, the tornado engulfing Sin. Taking the jug off his belt, he throws it into the tornado, causing it to explode in fire. Now, I decide it's my turn to attack.

"Renzokuken!" I yell, charging up to Sin. With both the katana and the wakizashi, I slash as much as I can, using every bit of power I can muster. Ten hits later, I jump back, and prepare for my finishing move. A grin creeps over my face, as I activate what I now see as my final Overdrive finishing move.

_(End SO3 theme Beyond The One; play FF8 theme Maybe I'm a Lion)_

"Lion Heart!"

As my Overdrive activates itself once again, I hold my katana and wakizashi at a diagonal angel to the ground, yellow energy swirling around me and gathering on the blades. After a moment, the blades shine brightly, and I charge, slashing upwards with both swords. Jumping into the air, I begin to slash faster than I ever have before. Seemingly hanging in the air and defying gravity, I land ten hits, fifteen hits, nineteen hits on the monstrous Sin before holding my blades together in the air. Slashing down a final time, I fall out of the air and turn around, as a massive explosion engulfs Sin. The creature howls in pain, as Yuna takes the familiar summoning stance that I think will end this fight.

"Bahamut!" she calls, the aeon diving down from the sky to land beside us on the airship's deck. "Mega Flare!" Bahamut roars, before doing a backflip to land on all four feet, the wheel on his back beginning to spin with white energy crackling around it. The energy gathers in Bahamut's mouth in the form of a ball, and the aeon blasts the massive energy beam at Sin. The attack slams into the mighty fiend's face and causes it to screech, as the energy burns away at it. Finally, the attack ends, and Sin is still floating there, bruised and burned.

_(End FF8 theme Maybe I'm a Lion)_

"Did we get it?" Rikku asks, walking over to me.

"I think so," I reply, as Sin wails again, opening its mouth wide. Suddenly, white mist begins to spray from the inside of the creature, and I smile, knowing that we have defeated Sin. After a moment, the airship begins to fly towards Sin, and we enter the mist. Flying into the heart of the creature, I can't help but feel a small chill, as if to foreshadow what's yet to come.

* * *


	41. Chapter 41: Unbound

Forgive the time it took to post this, I had a case of writer's block, yet again. It's somewhat of a short chapter, but the next one will be way, way better. Now, onwards to the replies!

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yes, we most certainly do.

Auron's Fan: Yes, according to what we know, I would imagine Jecht was quite hurt. Getting both your fins cut off by a laser and then getting another part of you blown up can't feel very nice. Plus, if you've already played through, then you'll know he says he's not Sin completely yet. So, he may not feel as much as we think.

SS5Matt: Well, he's not going down without attempting to kick our tails first.

Iron Reaver: Heh. Fine.

XxCougarxX: First, no problem. I've had those days myself. Second, I'd think the poor guy was in the midst of a heart attack when Sin fell on his lawn. Thirdly, I won't ask, but I will answer. I'd say it smells like fish.

desert-tiger: Well, Sin's inside will prove to be weirder than the outside.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Indeed. Your story...goes on. We think.

* * *

Chapter 41—Unbound

As the airship sets down, inside the heart of the massive creature known as Sin, everyone prepares themselves for the final battle. Weapons are checked, magic is readied, and everyone seems to be on high alert. Of course, I really can't blame them. I'm wary myself. Stepping outside of the airship, we're confronted with a bizarre landscape, full of twisting paths and black and blue sky. The area looks like an alternate dimension, and at this point, I really am not ready to rule that option out. Looking out over the area for a moment, I pull out my Sphere Grid, and finally place the last Ability Sphere I need to use inside. My final spell.

"Dad! Where are you?" Tidus yells, hoping for a response. Nothing is heard though, and Auron walks over to him.

"We must go to him," he states, Tidus nodding.

"Then we will! Let me take front!"

"Good luck," Yuna says, nodding to Tidus.

"Follow me!" Tidus exclaims, beginning to lead us all across the twisted path inside Sin.

_(Play FF8 theme Only a Plank Between One and Perdition)_

"Need to stay sharp...no telling what we'll find he..."

My words are cut off by a massive figure approaching us. Easily 10 feet tall, the fiend is covered in purple fur, with sharp horns and claws. A Behemoth King, one of the most powerful fiends that exists. Aside from Sin, of course.

"Uh, problem..." I mutter to myself, drawing my katana and preparing for battle. Tidus wastes no time, leaping at the fiend and slashing it across the waist. Growling, the creature swats Tidus away with a massive hand, before running at Yuna and slashing down. Yuna screams, and I move to attack, before seeing the creature's clawed hand firmly stopped by the blade of Auron's katana. Auron looks mad now, and pushes the fiend's hand away with a mighty grunt. Running up to the slightly off-balance Behemoth King, Auron brings his sword down hard, and a large cut appears on the creature, blood pouring from the wound. Taking this chance, I bring my left palm to face the creature.

"Flare!" I yell, the beam of non-elemental magic blasting out from my position and slamming into the chest of the creature.

"Firaga!" Lulu cries, and a fireball smashes into the same spot my Flare connected, the fiend roaring in pain and stumbling back. Wakka's World Champion nails the Behemoth King in the head, dizzying it, as Kimahri prepares a final blow. With a growl, Kimahri runs and leaps up to the creature's chest level, bringing the poleaxe across its neck in a quick slash. Blood now pouring from gashes on its chest and neck, the Behemoth gives a final roar, before falling. Pausing, I suddenly hear something, and look to the sky. My eyes widen as I then remember something. The Behemoth Kings will use Meteor upon dying.

"Look out!" I cry, diving out of the way as a basketball-sized chunk of rock hits the ground beside me. More begin to fall from the sky, and we all dodge out of the way, explosions knocking us all to the ground. As the meteors cease falling, we all pick ourselves up off the ground.

"Everyone okay?" Yuna asks, and we all nod, before beginning to walk the strange path inside Sin once again.

* * *

After a few minutes, maybe another 7 minutes or so of walking, we arrive at a large platform. The sight of the platform makes my eyes narrow, and I draw my katana, knowing what awaits us here.

"Don't you ever give up?" Tidus asks, drawing his sword and facing the unsent Seymour yet again.

"Sin has chosen me," he states, looking at us. "I am part of Sin. I am one with Sin, forever. Immortal."

"Sin just absorbed you," Tidus spits.

"I will learn to control it. I have all the time in the world. Since you were gracious enough to dispose of Yunalesca..." Seymour trails off now, as his body begins to transform yet again, his voice getting more metallic as well. "...the only means of defeating Sin is forever gone. Now nothing can stop us!"

"Well, we can!" Tidus yells, dropping into a fighting stance.

"By all means, try! You should thank me," Seymour says, looking at Tidus. "Your death means your father's life!" Seymour stops then, turning to face me now. "And you, you shall be the first to die! You have been a thorn in my side ever since the first time we met at Luca, and I shall make you pay for it!"

"Oh, really? Is that a fact? Then how come you haven't done it yet? The answer? You can't. Bring it on," I retort, leveling my katana blade at the unsent Maester. "I'll make sure you reach the Farplane this time!"

_(End FF8 theme Only a Plank Between One and Perdition, play FFX theme Seymour Battle)_

"Firaga!" Seymour yells, pointing a hand at me and launching 4 spells. My eyes go wide as I remember a moment too late that he multi-casts, and the spells slam into me, making me scream in pain as I'm thrown back to the staircase leading down.

"Ben!" Yuna cries, before she too is hit with a set of 4 Firaga spells and sent to the ground.

"Yuna!" Tidus yells, clenching a fist and charging Seymour. Casting Haste on himself in mid-sprint, Tidus jumps up and brings the sword down hard, an overhead cleave intended to split Seymour in two. Seymour moves to the side and smashes a fist into Tidus' face, before blasting him back with a Firaga spell as well.

"Wakka...hit the things behind him..." I say weakly, standing up and casting Curaga on myself. Wakka nods, and throws World Champion towards the wheel-like things behind Seymour. The blitzball connects, and two of the wheels shift, 2 yellow orbs now pointing towards Seymour. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Yuna stand up and cast Curaga on herself, affirming that she's okay.

"Thundaga!" Seymour yells, the lightning magic hitting Kimahri and knocking him back, before something hits Seymour in the face and explodes. Seymour stumbles back, and Rikku gives me a thumbs-up, smiling. I nod, and raise a hand into the air.

"Hastega!" The time magic speeds all of us up dramatically, except Tidus, who was already under Haste. Auron and Lulu take now to attack, while Yuna prepares to summon an aeon.

"You will hurt no one!" Auron yells, bringing his sword down hard on Seymour, the Magic Break attack failing to lower Seymour's magical strength.

"Doublecast: Flare!" Lulu yells, a duo of powerful non-elemental magic spells slamming Seymour in the chest. Wakka hits the orbs behind Seymour again then, causing 2 yellow orbs, a red orb, and a white orb to face the Maester now.

"Thundara!" he cries, a duo of lightning bolts slamming into Rikku and myself, sending us to the ground.

"You okay...?" I say to Rikku, and she nods. Casting a Cura on her to be sure, I stand back up, and bring my wakizashi out as well.

"Enough is enough, Seymour! Renzokuken!" Giving a battle cry, I run up to Seymour and slash down at his chest, dodging a Blizzara attack in the process. The hit connects, and I press the advantage, cutting at his hands and face repeatedly. Running back, I re-sheathe my wakizashi, and bring my katana beside me.

"Shadow Blitz!" As the area darkens, a black aura surrounds me, before I charge up to Seymour again. The dark-type attack runs its course easily, Seymour unable to block any one of the six slashes I inflict before the area brightens again.

As I step back, Kimahri gives a roar, and springs into the air on his poleaxe, coming down blade-first on Seymour. The Maester howls in pain, before smiling.

"There is no salvation for the damned! Rest in peace...in eternal darkness," Seymour says, raising a hand and using Dispel on all of us, removing our Haste. Suddenly, I freeze, knowing what comes next.

"Yuna, hurry!" I yell, and she nods, performing the summoning for Bahamut just in the nick of time. As Bahamut descends, stepping in front of all of us, Seymour speaks again.

"Let darkness take you! Ultima!" he cries, forming a ball of non-elemental magic. The ball expands, and then explodes, Bahamut roaring in pain as it's forced to a knee by the powerful magic. Standing up slowly, Bahamut forms 4 dark energy balls, one on each hand, and one on each wing, before launching them at Seymour. The Maester takes all 4, and winces, as the orbs behind Seymour all shift back to red once again.

"Firaga!" Seymour calls, another set of 4 Firaga spells slamming into Bahamut. The aeon roars, and falls, fading away slowly.

"Holy!" Yuna's spell is fired before Bahamut has even finished fading, and the spell hits Seymour with relentless force, knocking him back a few steps.

"Auron, Tidus, now!" I yell, and we all charge Seymour once again.

"Enough!" Auron cries, swinging his sword towards Seymour's chest, cutting a large gash into it as the blade connects. Tidus is next, doing a series of acrobatic flips before slamming his sword down on Seymour, the Maester roaring in pain. Finally, I spin around and slash Seymour across the chest as well, causing another grunt of pain from him. Seymour staggers for a moment, before falling to his knees.

_(End FFX theme Seymour Battle)_

"No!" he cries, as his body transforms back to its human form.

"Now! Yuna, send him!" Wakka yells, Yuna nodding quickly and running in front of Seymour, staff in hand. As she begins to send him, Seymour speaks, even as pyreflies leak from his body.

"So it is you, after all, who will send me. But even after I am gone, Spira's sorrow will prevail."

A bright beam of light then descends upon Seymour, and dozens of pyreflies fly from where he once was, the light vanishing as quickly as it came.

"Sin will be right behind you," Tidus says, looking at where Seymour was.

"Let's go. We still have to find Yu Yevon, right?" I say, beginning to walk the path again. Auron is right beside me, and everyone else follows the two of us through Sin once again.

* * *

After another few minutes, we come to what seems to be a dead end. Looking around, Tidus walks towards the other side of the path. Suddenly, something large flies down from above, smashing into the ground just in front of Tidus. As Tidus jumps back, I take a moment to examine the tower. The Tower of the Dead is huge, easily a few stories tall, with the symbol of Yevon on it in innumerable places.

"So, um...do we go in?" Tidus asks, tentatively. Nodding, Auron is the first to enter the strange building, soon followed by the rest of us. As we enter, a bright flash of light welcomes us. As the light dims, we can see that the area looks a bit like an ice covered version of Macalania Forest. Stalagmites are also shooting up out of the ground everywhere. Small, glowing, rainbow-colored crystals are randomly appearing and disappearing around as well, giving the area an instant, puzzling feel.

"Okay...everyone, try and touch the crystals. Don't get hit by those stalagmites, either," I say, beginning to run towards and touch one. As I touch it, it disappears, and everyone else follows my lead. In quite a short amount of time, 9 crystals have been touched, and Tidus darts towards a 10th.

"Got it!" he says, and suddenly the air around us ripples. Before we know it, we're all flying into the air by no means of our own. Suddenly, there's another flash of light directly in front of us, and we fly towards it.

As the light dims again, we're all standing on solid ground. To be more precise...Zanarkand. Not the Zanarkand from present-day Spira, though. The Zanarkand from Tidus' time. A thousand years ago. As I look around, I see the place I first wound up in Spira at, and I smile, knowing it's almost over at last. As Tidus approaches a man, standing on the center of a platform ahead of us, I take a deep breath, and follow. Awaiting the end of an adventure. The end of my story.

* * *

Finally, the end is almost here. Only 2 more chapters await! As always, please review!


	42. Chapter 42: Ending The Story

Well...6 months of work, and it's all come down to this moment. I said last chapter it would be two chapters left, but when I started writing it, I realized it would only be one. So, this is officially the final chapter in Destiny's Call. So, before it begins, the final replies!

Iron Reaver: You shall die. Horrifically. With much bloody cutting and slashinationnessness.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: This is our world now.

unknown: I do plan on making a sequel. There will be a sort of teaser trailer, which you will be able to find as a chapter, after this one.

SS5Matt: Yep, the sequel will have its first chapter posted either later today or tomorrow.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Just read to find out. Rikku is 15 in FFX, and Auron, I believe, is 35. Not completely sure, though. That is a little odd.

XxCougarxX: (raises hand) I uttered a few choice words, too, but I won't go into that. (grin)

Harry4: Well, here it is. Enjoy.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: I'm kind of liking Seymour. As a villain that is. He made a good one, if not a bit annoying.

desert-tiger: Yeah, Seymour had far too many lives. Anyway, enjoy the final chapter!

Now, without further ado, the finale!

* * *

Chapter 42—Ending The Story

"You're late, Auron," the man says, standing with his arms crossed, his back also turned to us. Auron just nods slowly, looking in the man's direction.

"I know."

As the man turns around, I simply watch as it's revealed to be Jecht, Tidus' father. He stands there for a moment, before nodding slightly to Tidus.

"Hey."

"Hi," Tidus says, flatly.

"Hah! You got tall, but you're all bones!" Jecht says, sounding amused. "You eating right, boy?" Tidus doesn't have a response, and Jecht continues to stare at Tidus for a moment, before speaking. "You've really grown."

"Yeah, but you're still bigger," Tidus replies, a trace of amusement in his words for a moment.

"Well, I am Sin, you know," Jecht says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's not funny," Tidus tells him, still continuing to stare. Jecht just laughs for a moment, shaking his head slightly.

"Well, then...I mean...you know. Let's end this," Jecht tells his son, waving his hand slightly as if to get the point across through motions, instead of words.

"Dad?" Tidus says, hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"I hate you," he says, simply, his voice slightly choked by the tears I can tell that he's holding back.

"I know, I know," Jecht says, sighing. "You know what you have to do."

"Yeah."

"I can't hear the Hymn so well anymore. Pretty soon, I'm gonna be Sin. Completely. I'm glad you're here now," Jecht says, looking from Tidus to all of us. "One thing, though...when it starts, I won't be myself anymore. I won't be able to hold myself back. I'm sorry."

"That's enough. Let's finish this, okay?" Tidus says, half-yelling. I can tell he's still trying to hold back tears, and I take a deep breath, preparing for what I know is coming.

"You're right," Jecht replies, walking to the edge of the platform, before turning back to us. "Well, then...let's go!" he yells, crossing his arms in front of his chest. An energy ball begins to form on the crossed part, and he spreads his arms wide. The energy ball moves to his chest, energy lacing on his body, as he steps backwards. Tidus yells, and runs towards Jecht, but he's just a moment too late. Jecht falls backwards off the platform, and spiraling lights dive down after him.

After a moment of staring in disbelief, Tidus is forced to jump backwards. A massive, flaming hand smashes onto the platform, followed by another, as a creature pulls itself up from the depths. It's revealed to be Jecht, transformed into what I can only guess is the Final Aeon, used to defeat Sin on Braska's pilgrimage.

_(Play FFX theme Otherworld)_

"I promise this will be quick! Hit me with all you got, Dad!" Tidus yells, drawing Caladbolg and pointing it at Jecht. Drawing my katana, I steel myself for an intense fight. Jecht looks us over for a moment, before thrusting a palm out at Rikku. The hit makes her crumple to the ground, instantly unconscious, and I glare at Jecht.

"You'll pay! Thundaga!" I yell, a bolt of lightning striking Jecht in the chest. Before Yuna can use Life on Rikku, however, Jecht shoots a beam out of his eye, striking Yuna. Before Yuna can even scream, she's petrified. Auron and Tidus run to attack, and slash down onto Jecht. The hits make him wince, and he hits Tidus, the younger boy flying back to land on the platform, dazed, but not unconscious.

"Tidus!" Wakka yells, throwing his blitzball at Jecht to distract him. Rapidly digging in his pockets, Wakka manages to throw a potion to Tidus, before Jecht crumples him to the ground with a strike as well.

'_This isn't going well for us...' _I think, pulling a Remedy out of my pocket and using it on Yuna. Yuna quickly comes out of the Petrify, and casts a Life spell on Rikku, enabling her to stand once again. Jecht raises his head, and fires another beam of energy, this time striking Kimahri. The Ronso is petrified now, and I growl, my rage getting more intense by the moment. Charging Jecht, I land a slash on his lower body, before he swats me back to the others. Landing on my back, I skid for a moment, before standing up weakly.

"Enough!" Auron yells, jumping into the air and bringing his sword down hard. An explosion of orange energy overtakes Jecht from the Dragon Fang, and Wakka spins his blitzball on his finger, his Element Reels Overdrive taking the fire form this time. The blitzball flies in and hits Jecht in the face, causing him to growl in pain. Landing a smashing hit to Kimahri, who had just charged after having an Esuna spell used on him by Yuna, Jecht aims a beam at me, and I cry out as the beam contacts, petrifying me quickly.

* * *

As I come back to my senses, I notice Auron standing up slowly, Yuna kneeling on the ground, Lulu unconscious on the ground nearby, and the rest of our group attacking Jecht. Tidus lands a series of hits on Jecht, before bouncing off his sword and kicking Wakka's World Champion down. As an explosion engulfs Jecht, Yuna uses a Phoenix Down on Lulu, the woman standing back up and pointing a hand at Jecht. 

"Ultima!" Lulu yells, not wasting any time with weak spells. A large explosion of dark energy engulfs Jecht, and he roars in pain. Suddenly, he stops, hunching over as if in pain. As we watch, several wing-like appendages extend from his back, and a sword handle thrusts itself out of his chest. Grunting, he grabs the sword and rips it out, as the Zanarkand Abes symbol in the background bursts into flames. With another mighty grunt, Jecht swings the sword, connecting with all of us and throwing us back.

Looking around, I notice Auron and Tidus kneeling on the ground, Lulu, Rikku, and Yuna unconscious on the ground, and Wakka and Kimahri slowly getting up. Growling, I get up as well, and drink a Hi-Potion to recover some strength. Bringing my katana beside me, I charge at Jecht, activating my Overdrive.

"Renzokuken!"

Jumping up to Jecht's level, I plant my feet into his chest to keep my balance, and slash twice at his face. Growling, he tries to swipe me away, but I duck and slash his hands. As he jerks back from those slashes, I bring my sword across his chest twice, before kicking off and landing on the ground. As I prepare to activate my Lion Heart finishing move, I suddenly stop. I seem to have another finishing move, another that I don't know.

'_Could this be more powerful than Lion Heart?' _I think to myself, shrugging and drawing my wakizashi. Only one way to find out.

"Darkside...Assault!"

As I bring both swords beside me, I start to glow with a red aura. Slashing the swords out once, I rush Jecht again, jumping back up to his chest. Instead of landing there, I hang in the air like with my Lion Heart attack, and slash several times at his chest. After the sixth slash, my hands and feet begin to glow with the same energy, and I sheathe both my swords. Clenching a fist, I plant a jab into Jecht's face, a left hook following a moment after. Spinning in the air, I land a heel kick to his face, followed by a high kick and then a straight kick, before falling back to the ground. Cupping my hands together, I bring them beside me, before firing a ball of dark energy, the Ultima spell topping the Overdrive off with a mighty explosion.

Gasping, I sink to my knees, as Auron and Wakka attack again, World Champion and Masamune biting deep into Jecht's body. Jecht gives a howl of pain, before a Holy spell smashes into him, courtesy of a newly-revived Yuna. Rikku and Lulu are also revived, and Lulu launches a second Ultima spell, Jecht's upper body rocking with the attack.

"Coming through!" Rikku yells, and a bright flash of light engulfs Jecht, before he growls in pain again, seemingly weakened quite a bit. Jecht raises a hand then, and grabs Lulu, raising her into the sky. Gripping her tightly, energy gathers around his fist, then explodes, Lulu crying in pain as she's burned by the energy. Letting his grip go slack, he tosses her at the ground, his Triumphant Grasp Overdrive nearly killing the black mage. As I run over to heal her, Yuna gives a glare at Jecht, and takes a summoning stance. Her staff is glowing brightly, and Bahamut descends from the sky a moment later, fangs bared at Jecht.

"Mega Flare!" Yuna cries, and Bahamut complies, leaping back onto all four feet and charging a beam of energy in his mouth, releasing it with a mighty blast. The energy beam catches Jecht full force in the chest, and he cries out in extreme pain.

_(End FFX theme Otherworld)_

Staggering, Jecht drops his sword, the blade sinking into the platform. The blade stands straight up in the air, as Jecht slumps to the platform, defeated. A bright flash of light suddenly engulfs us all, and when it clears, Jecht is standing on the platform, back to normal. Jecht wobbles once and starts to fall, Tidus running quickly to catch him before lying him down on the platform. As all this happens, no one pays any attention to the small, black blob that flew into the air when Jecht was defeated.

_(Play FFX theme Someday The Dream Will End)_

"You'll cry. You're gonna cry. You always cry, see? You're crying," Jecht says, a smile on his face as he looks up at Tidus.

"I hate you, Dad," Tidus says, the tears that wouldn't fall earlier now flowing freely down his face.

"Save it for later," Jecht says, Tidus nodding and standing up.

"Right...we've got a job to do, don't we?"

"Good. That's right. You are my son, after all," Jecht replies.

"You know...for the first time, I'm glad...to have you as my father," Tidus tells Jecht, finally admitting what he couldn't bring himself to say.

"Sir Jecht...I should..." Yuna begins, but Jecht cuts her off with a sharp wave of his hand.

"No, Yuna, there's no time!" Jecht yells, and all of us suddenly look up at the black ball, which is still flying around in the air, circling the platform.

"You stay away!" Tidus yells, waving his fist at the blob.

"Yuna, you know what to do...the aeons!" Jecht yells, and the image of the fayth appears on the platform before us as Jecht finishes speaking.

"We aeons..."

"Call them!"

"Call us!"

Jecht then falls, his strength finally leaving him as he bursts into a cloud of pyreflies, which float into the sky and evaporate. Drawing my sword, I prepare for the final fight with Yu Yevon. The ball continues to fly around, as Yuna speaks.

"Yes," she says, nodding slightly and gripping her staff.

"Here it comes!" Lulu yells, pointing to the ball that is Yu Yevon. It flies down, and hovers over the sword, before flying straight down into it, a bright flash of red energy engulfing us all. The last thing I see is the energy wave before I fall into darkness.

* * *

Waking up, I take a moment to examine my surroundings. Everyone except Yuna is lying on the platform, which is actually the sword Jecht was using. Yuna is standing up, staff in hand. As we all stand up, I notice something that makes me smile. All of us have halos over our heads, signifying the Auto-Life spell. 

"Yuna!" Tidus yells, getting up and standing by her side, as she faces down Yu Yevon. Yuna just nods, as Yu Yevon flies around in the distance. With a sad look on her face, Yuna takes the summoning stance, four rays of light ascending into the sky as she summons Valefor. The aeon descends from the sky, and Yu Yevon flies over to it, merging with the aeon quickly. The aeon's colors darken, as Yu Yevon possesses the aeon and turns to fight us.

_(End FFX theme Someday The Dream Will End; play FFX theme Summoned Beast Battle)_

"I'm sorry..." I mutter, nodding to Lulu as I bring a palm in front of myself. "Flare!"

"Flare!"

The duo of Flare spells slam into Valefor, the aeon screeching in pain before slumping to the platform, easily defeated by the two non-elemental spells. Yu Yevon leaves the aeon as it fades away, and Yuna lowers her head slightly, before summoning Ifrit next. The aeon leaps down to the platform from its column of rock, and Yu Yevon possesses it as well, the aeon quickly using its Meteor Strike attack on us. The energy ball connects with our group, pushing us back a bit, and Lulu and I point a hand at Ifrit once again.

"Blizzaga!" we cry, the two spells from the both of us smashing into Ifrit, defeating it much the same as Valefor. Yu Yevon once again leaves the aeon, awaiting the next to be summoned.

"Wait," I say to Yuna, as she prepares to summon Ixion. "I'll do this." Taking the summoning stance, I summon Ixion, the aeon leaping from the portal. Yu Yevon possesses the lightning horse, and quickly uses the Aerospark attack, the energy disc cutting into Yuna and I, forcing us to stumble back.

"Waterga!" Lulu and I yell again, the dual water spells connecting with Ixion, forcing the aeon to the ground. It fades away quickly, and I take the summoning stance again as Yu Yevon floats nearby. Ice crystals drop behind me as I crouch, the aeon Shiva floating down and emerging from the crystals. Yu Yevon possesses Shiva as well, and the aeon uses her Heavenly Strike attack, an ice crystal slamming into Yuna from above. Yuna casts Cura on herself, as Lulu casts another spell on Shiva.

"Firaga!" she cries, the great ball of flame burning away at the aeon. It's not quite defeated yet, so I cast a Fira spell to finish it, the aeon falling and fading away. Giving a nod to Yuna, I step back, as she takes the final summoning stance. The mighty dragon Bahamut flies down from the sky and lands on the platform with a crash, Yu Yevon quickly flying over to possess the powerful aeon. As Bahamut roars, it creates four energy balls on its claws and wings, the Impulse attack flying out and hitting Yuna, myself, and Lulu, knocking us to the ground. As we stand back up, I cast a quick Cura on myself and Lulu, Yuna casting it again on herself, before pointing a palm at Bahamut.

"Ultima!" I cry, the dark energy ball engulfing the aeon, and causing it to stumble back. A second Ultima spell quickly follows from Lulu, and the aeon drops to a knee. Yuna sighs deeply, regret filling her voice as she casts a spell.

"Holy!"

The energy balls fly down from the sky, smashing into Bahamut, the aeon roaring in pain and slumping down to the platform, fading away in a burst of pyreflies like the others. Shaking her head, Yuna grips her staff tightly, as Yu Yevon flies down to face us. After a moment, Yu Yevon takes its true form, a spider-looking creature, hovering in the air in front of us. The symbol of Yevon is also branded on its chest.

_(End FFX theme Summoned Beast Battle; play FFX theme Decisive Battle)_

"Everyone!" Tidus yells, stepping in front of us and facing us. "This is the last time we fight together, okay?" Everyone stares at Tidus, but Wakka finally breaks the silence.

"Huh?" he says, Tidus turning to face Yuna.

"What I'm trying to say is...after we beat Yu Yevon, I'll disappear!" he replies, and I hear everyone gasp a little, confused at the sudden revelation.

"What are you talking about?" Lulu asks, and Tidus just stares at Yuna. Yuna looks sad, more than I think I've ever seen her, and I sigh as well, looking on.

"I'm saying goodbye!" Tidus yells, drawing Caladbolg and taking a battle stance in front of Yu Yevon.

"Not now!" Rikku says, not wanting Tidus to leave.

"I know it's selfish...but this is my story!" he yells, and I nod, bringing my sword in front of me one final time.

"Auron, make it a zombie. Trust me," I say, looking at the warrior monk. Auron simply nods, using his Zombie Attack on Yu Yevon. The thing hisses in pain, and casts Curaga on itself. That causes it to screech in pain, the curing magic damaging its body due to the Zombie status.

"Everyone, attack!" I yell, racing up to Yu Yevon and cutting a line across its body. It casts Curaga again, damaging itself even more, as Auron, Kimahri, and Tidus attack. The two swords and Kimahri's halberd slice Yu Yevon, and it casts Curaga a third time, the healing energy searing its undead body. Hissing, it suddenly casts another spell, a ball of dark energy appearing in front of us and then exploding, the Ultima attack knocking us all to the ground, severely weakened. Wincing heavily, I stand up, casting Curaga on first myself, then Tidus, Yuna, and Auron. Yuna casts Curaga on everyone else, and we all continue to attack.

"Holy!" Yuna cries, the beams of light energy hitting Yu Yevon from the sky. The thing screeches in pain again, and casts Curaga on itself, the Zombie status finally wearing off. Auron promptly uses Zombie Attack again, and Yu Yevon howls in pain again as its Curaga attack burns its skin. I can tell we're near the end now, and I nod to Lulu.

"Let's finish it!" I yell, quickly drinking a potion, before pointing a hand at the fiend. "Flare!"

"Ultima!"

The beam of non-elemental magic slams into Yu Yevon with devastating force, followed by an explosion of dark energy. Yu Yevon stops for a moment, then begins to rise up into the air, rings of blue energy circling its body.

_(End FFX theme Decisive Battle)_

Yu Yevon gives a final screech, and then explodes, bursting into a shower of pyreflies. Suddenly, the area we're in ripples, and then fades out, being replaced by the familiar Zanarkand area we were just in. Yuna gives a solemn look at the area around, before walking to the middle of the platform, and beginning to perform the sending. Nodding slowly, I walk beside her on the platform, and begin to do the same. As Yuna turns, she suddenly gasps, seeing pyreflies floating from Auron's body.

"Don't stop," he says, nodding to Yuna.

"But, I..."

"It's all right."

With those final words from Auron, we continue to perform the sending. Auron looks at Wakka, then Kimahri. Giving the Ronso a friendly hit on the chest, he looks over Lulu, Rikku, and finally Tidus, before walking towards us on the platform. Walking past us, he shoulders his sword and stands at the edge.

"This is your world now," he says, simply, before bursting into a cloud of pyreflies, which rise up into the air and disappear.

"Let's get out of here. We're finished here," I say, and everyone nods, as the void ripples once again, being replaced with the inside of Sin. Standing outside the Tower of the Dead, which is vanishing from the top down, I give a final look back at it, before running towards where we left the airship.

* * *

As we re-enter the airship, Cid gives us a smile, and I give him a thumbs-up, causing him to turn to Brother. The airship lifts off, and turns, flying back to the outside of Sin. Yuna exits the bridge, everyone else behind her, and I follow, following the group up to the deck. Yuna stands silently there for a moment, before resuming the sending. I can see images of the aeons in the sky, and one by one, they burst into pyreflies and vanish. Sin's body then explodes in a massive shower of yellow energy and pyreflies, the fins we cut off exploding along with it. I can hear cheers down below at Bevelle, and I smile. 

Turning, I notice Tidus look at himself, his arms beginning to fade away. Yuna stops, and follows my gaze, gasping softly.

"No," she says softly, Tidus walking up to her.

"Yuna, I have to go," Tidus says, beginning to walk past her to the edge of the ship. "I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand. Goodbye!"

"Hey!" Wakka shouts, causing Tidus to stop.

"We're gonna see you again...?" Rikku asks, and Kimahri suddenly steps forward.

"Yuna!" he cries, as Yuna runs towards Tidus, aiming to hold him in her arms. She passes right through him, though, and lands on the deck of the airship. Everyone gasps, as Yuna stands up, their backs now facing each other as she says the three words she's wanted to say since she met him.

"I love you."

Tidus turns around and looks at Yuna, her back still to him. Walking over to her, he wraps his arms around her neck, in an attempt to hug her one final time. After a moment, he walks completely through Yuna, now almost completely faded away. With one final look to us, Tidus smiles, before turning and jumping off of the airship. Taking one final look at the place that the blitzball star once stood, we all turn and walk back into the airship.

* * *

A few hours later, we're now headed to Luca. Everyone in Spira has been called to the stadium, to hear the glorious announcement of Sin's defeat. When we arrive there, Yuna walks to one of the bridges leading to the Mi'ihen Highroad, and looks out to sea. Lulu and I watch her for a moment, before Lulu speaks up. 

"Yuna, it's time," she says, and Yuna turns, nodding to us, as we all walk to the blitzball stadium. The entire stadium is packed with people, cheering at the news of Sin's destruction. Yuna, Lulu and I ascend the stairs to the platform where Maester Mika was sitting when we came to Luca the first time, and Yuna moves in front of a podium. Rikku and I move to her right, as Wakka and Lulu move to her left. Yuna clears her throat, and then begins to address the crowd.

"Everyone...everyone has lost something precious. Everyone here has lost hopes, dreams, and friends. Everybody...now, Sin is finally dead."

The crowd roars in applause, and then quiets down again, as Yuna continues.

"Now, Spira is ours again. Working together...now we can make new homes for ourselves, and new dreams. Although I know the journey will be hard, we have lots of time. Together, we will rebuild Spira. The road is ahead of us, so let's start out today." As Yuna finishes, she turns to us as the crowd applauds again. Wakka nods, and she turns back to the podium once again.

"Just, one more thing..." she says, the crowd quieting instantly. "The people and the friends that we have lost, or the dreams that have faded...never forget them." As Yuna finishes, she steps back from the podium, the crowd cheering once again. Smiling, I start to walk away a bit, as the fayth appears in front of me. Turning back to Rikku, I walk back to her.

"Rikku...it's time for me to go."

"You can't!" she says, wrapping her arms around me.

"I have to. I have to go back to my world now," I say, returning the hug. "Just remember...I love you." As I step away from her, I give her a final kiss, before turning to the fayth.

"Are you ready to return?" he asks, and I nod.

"I'm ready." Giving a final look at Yuna, Rikku, Lulu, and Wakka, I smile. The ones I've come to know as my friends. As the portal opens behind me, I take one final look at the stadium, and everyone around, before walking into the portal.

The same dizzying sensation returns, and after a moment, I find myself back in my room. Stepping over to a clock, I check it. 1:42 PM. Barely 20 minutes has passed in my world since I went to Spira. Sighing, I place my katana back on its wall mount, sitting my wakizashi on the desk beside me. I lean my staff against the wall, and place my suwayyah on the desk beside the wakizashi, before flopping back onto the bed.

"The end of my story. And to think, I thought it would be a normal day."

Fin

* * *

I want to give a big thanks to everyone who reviewed my story along the way. Without you guys, I probably would've quit writing it a long time ago. Also, special thanks to Iron Reaver, who was nice enough to help proofread most of the later chapters, and Daniel Wesley Rydell, for having the 'Weirdest Reviews Ever' (tm). As always, please review, and check out the teaser trailer for the sequel, FFX-2: Eternal Requiem, right after this chapter. 


	43. Preview: Eternal Requiem

Before you read this, imagine it as a movie trailer of sorts. You'll get the idea.

* * *

You thought it was over...

(clip of Sin hitting the ground at Bevelle)

You thought everything was finished...

(clip of Tidus vanishing, clip of Ben entering a portal back to his home world after Yuna's speech at Bevelle)

But...it's not over yet...

(Real Emotion begins playing)

Four teens...

(clip of Ben, drawing two swords, garbed in a blue and white outfit, Yuna, drawing two pistols, Rikku, drawing a pair of daggers, and another girl with gray, somewhat spiky hair and a black outfit drawing a sword)

Will have to save Spira once again from the fate that will soon befall it...

(clip of a shadowy, giant machina, with a head like a demon and two glowing eyes)

(clip of a shadowy figure, resembling Tidus)

And in the midst of it all, old friends...

(clip of Buddy and Brother, in the Celsius)

And new enemies...

(clip of Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi)

(clip of a teen in a dark gray shirt, and navy blue pants, with two pistols holstered, and another teen, with brown eyes, the rest of his body shadowed by a tree)

Will make their presence known. So, get ready, because it's coming...

(clip of Ben charging something resembling Ultima Weapon)

FFX-2: Eternal Requiem.

(Real Emotion fades)

* * *


End file.
